Les Jardins du Chaigne
A place of tranquility and serene beauty, Les Jardins du Chaigne are gorgeous French gardens surrounding a classical French manor house. Visitors are delighted by the variety of vibrant flowers, the fruit trees, and fragrant herbs.
The garden is divided into sections: a French garden with geometric hedging, well-groomed topiaries, lavender, and roses; the vegetable garden, with its selection of edible plants; the “Chemin d’Eau,” with decorative water channels; and the “Théâtre de Verdure,” an area of sloped lawn that mimics the shape of a theater.
History
A book listing the region’s ancient properties indicates that Le Chêne (The Oak) was a place said, bringing together the Logis and its outbuildings, whose name came from a remarkable tree that has now disappeared.
Le Chêne was part of the 18th century fiefdom and lordship of Pontbreton and belonged to a wealthy merchant from Angoulême. Later Le Chêne, now known as Le Chaigne, became a brandy producing Cognac brandy owned by large families in the region.
This very old farm was long sought by the best distillers for the finesse and distinction of its production because it is located on the best rumps of Grande Champagne.
In the 1970s, owned by famous Bordeaux wine merchants, the estate with its limestone soil was planted with “crazy white” and “Saint-Emilion” grape varieties. Its orientation allowed it to reap the benefit of the temperate and sunny climate of this part of the Charente.
This is what the owners of the time said: “Heavy white grapes mature slowly under the caress of the soft and warm air that characterizes the micro-climate of the Grande Champagne.
In keeping with the tradition of the best vintages, the grapes are picked only as they mature, the harvesters passing and passing tirelessly in the rows of vines to choose each time only the most beautiful bunches, throughout a harvest that sometimes lasts more than a month.
Time is not an enemy in the Domain of the Chaigne, it is an ally.
Today the techniques of exploitation of the vineyards of Grande Champagne have evolved, but the mild climate and landscapes are still there, and the time within the Chaigne Gardens is still the visitor’s ally.
The Jardins du Chaigne and its house are always entirely lined with vines, which are now the property of prestigious brands of cognac.
Chaigne Gardens
Created in 2003, the Chaigne gardens lie between the hillsides of The Great Champagne, in this endearing region of Cognac, known for the cultivation of vines. Limestone soil sometimes dictates the choices of plants
Thus the boxwood, the yew, the laurel, the troène for the topiary cut were privileged; roses, lavenders, santolines, jasmines for their fragrance; perennial and annual always clear and supple, sown in buckets or on the fly for the flowering of the three seasons; and trees mainly chosen for their light foliage: glediesias, sophoras, micocouliers, tulip trees, maples.
The waterway and the green theatre hosting the shows are the last works undertaken. During the six years of creation, nothing too dense or too colorful was put in the ground so as not to offend the light so special of the Charente and the surrounding vine. Everything here is harmonious and, in a calm, and un nuisance-free environment.
Listed as a “Jardin Remarquable,” the Jardins du Chaigne property is about 30 kilometers from Cognac and 35 kilometers from Angoulême, making it an easy and worthwhile excursion by car. The gardens are open to the public for visits from the end of May through September on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and on the first weekend of the month.
Address: Le Chaigne, 16120 Touzac
