With terroirs similar to those of Bourgueil, the Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil AOC covers 1,100 hectares. Though vineyards were cultivated since Roman times, it was around the year 1000 that winemaking really began in earnest, and it all started at the Bourgueil abbey. Cabernet Franc is primarily grown on alluvial terraces but also on hills of thick, white limestone (Tuffeau). The sun exposure here is excellent and the red wines of Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil are even more affected by maritime influences due to the confluence of the Loire and the Vienne Rivers. These wines offer a large range of complex aromas, including raspberry, blackberry, licorice, strawberry and spices. Like the wines of Bourgueil, the wines produced on the alluvial soils are fresh and supple on the palate while those produced on the limestone hills are fleshy with a dense tannic structure.