Cave Monplaisir, Chinon

Great afternoon spent exploring the caves and learning about the local wines of the area. Spent about an hour there with Leo, English was outstanding and his extensive knowledge gave us a great understanding of the Chinon wine region and the Loire more broadly! Well worth a visit!

Visited in September. Luckily there were just a few visitors. A very simple place and so was the service. On arrival we were sent to make a tour (by ourselves!) around the cave. That took under 10 minutes. Came back to counter by the entrance. Waited 5 minutes till the lady talks on the phone. Got a brief explanation about 2-3 different wines. So simple and basics, that it was pretty much pointless. The wines tasted were so-so: too much tannins in one; another was without any character. Disappointment! The visit and the tasting are free. Otherwise I’d give it one star less.

Incredibly friendly and helpful staff. Amazing cave and delicious wine. You can tour the cave and do a tasting in less than an hour.

We went for a tasting on a cold Saturday afternoon. The cave is very breathtaking (it goes 500 meters deep into the rock). At the bar we tasted different very nice wines from different winemakers. The serving temperature was perfect and the lady who helped us had a lot to tell about the wines and was very enthusiastic. Would absolutely go again!

This was a great free wine cave and tasting. First, we explored the cave on our own, and then we went up to the bar for a free and very generous tasting (4-5 pours each). Our host at the bar spoke excellent English and gave us so much interesting info along with our tastes. We didn't feel patronized or pressured to buy - but we did end up buying three bottles because they were delicious and well-priced. This place is worth the 15-min walk along the river from town, and it is more likely to be open even when other tasting rooms are closed.