6.0 Loire Valley Quizzy Flashcards
Which wine region follows the longest river in France?
The Loire Valley
What is the climate in the Loire Valley?
Cool climate
What are the classic grapes of the Loire Valley?
- Chenin Blanc
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Muscadet
- Cabernet Franc
- Gamay
What are the four subregions of The Loire Valley?
Going downstream
Central Vineyards, Touraine, Anjou-Saumur and the Nantais
What is the Vin de Pays that covers the Loire?
Vin de Pays du Val de Loire it covers the whole region, over 13 départements
Which is the smallest of the four Loire Valley sub regions?
Central Vineyards
In which Loire subregion will you find Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé?
The Central Vineyards
What is the climate in Central Vineyards, The Loire
Akin to Burgundy, the climate is distinctly continental with severe winters and hot summers.
Summer hails and spring frosts are recurrent problems.
What are the biggest climate problems in The Central Vineyards?
Summer hails and spring frosts are recurrent problems
Which AC arguable makes the finest dry white wines of the Loire Valley?
Sancerre AC in Central Vineyards
How many villages are in Sancerre AC?
15 villages in very chalky soil rich in marine fossils
How big are vineyard holdings in the Central Vineyards of the Loire Valley?
Vineyard holdings are small and generally divided into minute parcels of vines
What is Sancerre?
- Most Sancerre is white, high in acidity and made from Sauvignon Blanc although 20% of the production is red or rose and made from Pinot Noir.
- Traditionally it used to be fermented in 600 litre wooden casks but temperature controlled stainless steel vats are now the norm.
- It shares with Marlborough Sauvignon a distinctive herbaceous aroma (elderflower or cat’s pee) though this is increasing regarded as a sign of grapes picked before ripeness.
- Certain individual villages such as Chavigbol and vineyards such as Les Monts Damnés have created a high reputation for wines that display a smoked minerality and are able to evolve in bottle, though in most cases Sancerre is not a wine for aging
- Higher prices due to limited area and great demand has enabled massive investment into vineyards and wineries ensuring the quality of wine even in more challenges vintages
Approximately 20% of production in Sancerre, Central Vineyards, The Loire is made from which grape?
Pinot Noir, and made into red and rose.
The remaining 80% is white from Sauvignon Blanc
What distinctive characters do the wines from villages such as Chavignol and vineyards like Les Monts Damnés in Central Vineyards?
A smoky minerality and the ability to evolve in bottle
What has allows the massive investment in vineyards and wineries in Central Vineyards, The Loire and what has been the impact?
The high prices commanded due to huge popularity and limited area of the vineyards.
The investment into vineyards and wineries has ensuring a high quality even in more challenging vintages. Only adding to the allure.
Which AC sits on the opposite side of the Loire to Sancerre?
Pouilly-Fumé AC
Which AC sits on the opposite side of the Loire river to Pouilly-Fumé AC?
Sancerre AC
What is the different between Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre and SB from Pouilly-Fumé?
Pouilly-Fumé are typically fruitier and less aggressively herbaceous than Sancerre.
Can red wines be made in Pouilly-Fumé?
No it is a white appellation only.
Sauvignon Blanc is king
Where a moderately priced alternative to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire?
Menetou-Salon AC, the neighbouring appellation to the West of Sancerre
Where is Touraine?
In the Loire Valley
Half way between Muscadet and Sancerre
200 km from the sea
Centered on the city of Tours
What is the climate in Touraine?
Cold winter/warm summer continental climate not not as extreme as the Central Vineyard area.
Relatively early spring warmth but avoiding high temperatures and drought of the continental summers
200 km from the sea and with plenty of rivers
What is Touraine AC?
A generic appellation in the Loire that stretches has along the flint, sand and limestone banks of the Loire and Cher rivers.
It’s red wines are mostly Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Malbec
Dry whites are made from Sauvignon (or rarely Chenin Blanc)
These often appear under a varietal label I.e Sauvignon de Touraine or Gamay de Touraine
What is grape is used in Vouvray AC?
Vouvray AC wine is always white and made from Chenin Blanc
It can appear in a full range of styles, still, pétillant and sparking - from dry to lusciously sweet
When would the vintage in Vouvray be among the latest in France?
When there is noble rot in the vineyards
What is ‘tuffeau’?
The Loire limestone.
Many growers have their cellars cut into the cliffs of soft tuffeau that are a feature of both banks of the river here.
What soil is there in Vouvray?
Well draining limestone soils, rich in calcium and marine fossils
Name five reasons why the chalky limestone soil in Vouvray a good thing for vines?
- This soil is full of marine creatures
- It is very porous allowing the vines to develop large root systems
- Good drainage, allows the vine’s water needs to be met without flooding the roots or bloating the grapes
- High calcium content entailed the grapes to retain their acidity as they ripen
Why do better producers in Loire specifically pick in successive tris, passing through each vineyard several times to harvest grapes at full ripeness while eliminating any bunches that have started to rot?
A peculiarity of Chenin Blanc (which is grown in Touraine and Anjou-Saumur) is that it is common for grapes within the same bunch to reach different levels of ripeness
What soil does Chenin Blanc grow best on?
Limestone soils
Is Chenin to be drunk young or can it age?
Its natural acidity means it ages well.
Although the trend towards harvesting at full ripeness to produce richer more complex wines that should be enjoying in the first 10 years
What is made in Chinon AC, Touraine, Loire?
Almost entirely red wine production of Cabernet Franc, some rosé made and 2% Chenin Blanc grown
Where are the finest wines from in Chinon AC?
The hillside slopes where the soil is predominantly limestone
Lighter, fruitier wines come from the sandy soils of the valleys of the River Vienne, 15 km west of Chinon.
Fuller bodied with firm tannins wines come from the plateau to the north, where the soils have more clay and gravel
Which grape grown in Chinon AC, Bourgueil AC and Saint Nicholas de Bourgeuil AC flowers and ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and is therefore better suited to the marginal climate?
Cabernet Franc
What is the climate of Anjou-Saumur?
Continental x Maritime, with a warmer damper winter than in the east leading to an early spring and a longer, hotter growing season.
Temperatures can reach 40•C in summer
Drier and warmer than the Nantais with all day sun and facing the prevailing winds
What grapes does Saumur AC use?
Chenin Blanc
Cabernet Franc
What grape used to make rose is only found in Anjou?
Grolleau
Where is the best local red wines made from Cabernet Franc in Anjou-Saumur?
Saumur-Champigny AC
The current style is rich, supple, fruity and fresh
What is grown in Anjou AC?
This generic appellation covers red, white and rosé wines
Broad range of varieties but Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc are the two main grapes.
The best wines are white and made from Chenin Blanc
Grolleau (Groslot) only found in Anjou is a red grape with high yields used for Rosé
What are the three appellations for rosé wines in Anjou-Saumur?
- Cabernet d’Anjou AC
Highest Quality
Always medium sweet
A blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon - Rosé d’Anjou AC
Less sweet
Made from a blend of Grolleau, Cabernet Franc and/or Gamay - Rosé de Loire AC (can also be produced outside the Anjou area)
Always dry
Must have a minimum of 30% Cabernet grapes in the blend
What is the highest quality rosé AC in Anjou-Saumur?
Cabernet d’Anjou
Medium sweet in style
Blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Which is the dry rosé appellation in Anjou-Saumur?
Rosé de Loire AC
Wines are always dry
Must have a minimum of 30% Cabernet grapes in the blend
What is the traditional style of the best wines of Anjou-Saumur?
White
Made from Chenin Blanc
Relatively high acidity
Balanced by residual sugar (as botrytised develops well in the sheltered valleys, particularly Côteaux de Layon AC)
What are the wines of Côteaux du Layon AC in Anjou-Saumur known for?
Sweet wines
Fresh fruit character
Mouth watering acidity
Reminiscent of the sweeter wines of Germany with some of the body and alcohol of Sauternes)
Pickers may pass through the vines on a number of occasions to pick all the grapes
The two most favoured sites are Quarts de Chaume AC and Bonnezeaux AC
What is grown in Savennières?
Chenin Blanc
Air circulation around the well exposed vineyards impedes the development of Chenin Blanc but enables late harvest Chenin Blanc grapes to be used for full bodied, dry wines of exceptional quality.
These wines can be austere when young due to high acidity but as with fine Vouvray van build layers of honey and smoky mineral flavours as they evolve over decades in bottle.
There is a move to softer, riper wines that are enjoyable young while retaining the famous mineral complexity.
What is the main wine of the Nantais region?
Muscadet
Which is the only grape variety is permitted for the production of Muscadet?
Melon Blanc or Muscadet
What is Muscadet sur Lie?
A speciality from the Nantais in the Loire.
The wine is bottled direct from cask or tank in the spring following vintage, having spent the winter on its lees (life is the French for Lees)
Usually domain bottled
Wine has been handled very little should retain its delicacy and freshness and may have lazy bubbles beading the rum of the glass
Contact with its lees gives it more body and a slightly yeasty character
What is Melon Blanc? (Melon de Borgogne)
Also known as Muscadet.
White grape
Neutral variety
Best wines disposal attractive green apple or grassy aromas
It’s understated character makes it a versatile food friendly wine.
It ripens early and its frost resistance suits the marginal climate of the Nantais, The Loire
Why did the early wine trade thrive in the Loire?
Due to river transportation on the Loire and access to the Atlantic
What two historical events/inventions lead to a decline of wine trade in the Loire?
The French Revolution
Modern transportation
When did wine trade in Loire start to recover post declines caused by The French Revolution and modern transportation?
After the Second World War
What was the historical focus of wine sales post World War II?
Main focus was on local sales, with just a few wines of interest for export
What cut production of Muscadet in the Loire in 1991?
Severe frosts
What has enabled prices to rise and producers to invest in improving quality in the vineyard and cellar in the Loire?
The success of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé and the corresponding rise in prices
What has been the impact of improving phenolic ripeness in red wines in the Loire?
A move to a softer, less austere style of red
What has led to a softer, less austere style of red in the Loire?
A focus on improving phenolic ripeness in red wines
Is there a regional generic appellation in the Loire akin to AC Bordeaux?
No but Vin de Pays du Val de Loire covers the 13 départements of the whole region
What is the style of wines in Vin de Pays du Val de Loire?
Easy drinking wines with freshness, light body and simple fruit flavours
Which region has the #3 largest vineyard area in France?
The Loire
Which French region is the #1 producer of white AOC wines?
The Loire
What proportion of white wine is made in The Loire?
47%
What proportion of Loire wine is rosé?
24%
What proportion of red wine is made in the Loire?
20%
What proportion of sparking wine is made in The Loire?
9%
What are the top five leading grape varietals in The Loire?
- Chenin Blanc
- Melon de Bourgogne
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Pinot Noir
- Cabernet Franc
Which French region is the #2 producer of rosé wines?
The Loire Valley
What three words best describe wines from the Loire Valley?
Fresh
Fruity
Friendly
Moderate alcohol, refreshing acidity and minerality makes them ideal food wines
Pure expression of varietal and terroir unmasked by oak
Excellent value
What is the style of Loire wines?
Fresh
Fruity
Friendly
Moderate alcohol, refreshing acidity and minerality makes them ideal food wines
Pure expression of varietal and terroir unmasked by oak
Excellent value
Mostly white (47%), rosé (24%), red (20%) sparking (9%)
Chenin, Sauvignon, Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne), Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc
What is the soil in Sancerre?
Chalky
What is the soil in Pouilly Fumé?
Flinty, well draining stony soils rich in marine fossils
Which direction do the 15 villages in Sancerre face?
Low slopes facing South East and South West
What is the dominant grape in Sancerre?
Sauvignon Blanc
What is the style of wine produced in Sancerre?
Sauvignon Blanc with a herbaceous, elderflower and gooseberry character certain vineyards and villages produce wine with a smoky minerality with ageing
Which red grape is grown in Sancerre?
Pinot Noir for rosé and red, light and fruity in style
How much Pinot Noir is grown in Sancerre?
20%
Why is the Loire Valley considered France’s most diverse wine region?
It produces wines in every style.
Best known for crisp, dry white wines
Sauvignon Blanc
Unique seaside wines of Muscadet
Rich aromatic wines from Chenin Blanc
Fruity red wines from Pinot Noir and Gamay
Earthy red wines from Cabernet Franc and Malbec
Dry and off dry rosé
Elegant sparking wines
Luscious sweet wines
How many bottles of wine does the Loire produce each year?
380 million bottles per year
What is the #1 export market for Loire Valley wines?
USA
How many regions does the Loire Valley have?
4
- Central Vineyards
- Touraine
- Anjou-Saumur
- Nantais
How many wineries are there in The Loire?
4,000
How many different appellations and denominations are there in the Loire?
79
How many IGPs are there in the Loire Valley?
Just one
How many different grape varieties are permitted in the Loire?
24 although only 5 leading varietals
Chenin Blanc Melon de Bourgogne Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Noir Cabernet Franc
What is the breakdown of production by colour in the Loire?
47% white
24% Rosé
20% red
9% sparkling
What is the third most widely grown varietal in The Loire?
Chenin Blanc
What leads to a less aggressive herbaceous character in Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly Fumé vs Sancerre?
A higher percentage of cask aging in Pouilly Fumé
Where are Menetou-Salon AC, Reuilly AC and Quincy AC located?
Located west and south of Sancerre in the Central Vineyards of the Loire Valley
Where will you find Pinot Gris in the Loire Valley?
In Reuilly AC
Which three Central Vineyards appellations is seeing their popularly grow as moderately priced alternatives to Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé?
Menetou-Salon AC
Reuilly AC
Quincy AC
What are the soils in Menetou-Salon AC, Reuilly AC and Quincy AC?
Kimmeridgian clay soils similar to Chablis
Hard calcaire and sandy soils
What are the 3 different soil types associated with Chinon and what wines do they yield?
The finest wines made for ageing are produced on the hillside slopes where the soil is predominantly limestone
Lighter wines come from the sandy soils of the valleys of the River Vienne.
Fuller bodied with firm tannins wines come from the plateau to the north, where the soils have more clay and gravel
What style of wines are produced in Vouvray AC?
- A range of styles: still, pétillant and sparking, from dry to very sweet.
- Noble wines affected sweet wines also made.
- All wines made with Chenin Blanc
- Predominately an off dry style with a few grams of residual sugar. Adds weight, producing user friendly versatile wines
Where is Montlouis AC?
Across the river from Vouvray in Touraine, Loire Valley
What style of wines are produced in Montlouis AC?
Similar wines to Vouvray AC from similar soil and climate characteristics
Where will you find fuller bodied Cabernet Franc wines with firm tannins in Chinon AC?
On the plateau north of Chinon where clay and gravel soils dominate
Where will you find the finest Cabernet Franc wines made for ageing in Chinon AC?
On the hillside slopes that are predominantly limestone
Where will you find the light and fruity style of Cabernet Franc in Chinon AC?
On the sandy soils of the Vienne River Valley 15km west of Chinon
Where are Bourgueil AC and Saint-Nicholas de Bourgueil AC?
Across the river and north of Chinon AC.
In Touraine AC, the Loire Valley
Where are vines planted in Bourgueil AC and Saint-Nicholas de Bourgueil AC?
On south facing limestone slopes
What wines are produced in Bourgueil AC and Saint-Nicholas de Bourgueil AC?
Similar wines to Chinon AC
What wines are made in Saumur AC?
Chenin Blanc - from dry to lusciously sweet in the best years
Red wines from Cabernet Franc labelled as Saumur-Champigny AC. These are fresh wines with great concentration.
What wines are made in Saumur-Champigny AC?
Red wines from Cabernet Franc
Rich, fresh wines with great concentration
Where in the Loire are some of the greatest sweet wines?
Quarts de Chaume AC and Bonnezeaux AC in Anjou-Saumur AC, the Loire Valley
What is the climate in Nantais?
- Maritime
- Due to its location on the banks of the Loire where the river ends at the Atlantic
- Mild winters and mild summers
- Frost damage is rare (severe frost on 1991 reduced production significantly)
Where is Nantais?
The Loire Valley, France.
It is located in the banks of the Loire where the river ends at the Atlantic, centered on the city of Nantes.
What soils are in Nantais?
Diverse soil types
Predominately well drained schist and gnoses with some granite and sandy soils
Five key facts re Muscadet AC?
A generic regional appellation in the Nantais, Loire Valley
It has only one permitted grape variety Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet)
Wines are dry, neutral with green apple, grassy aromas and crisp acidity
Chapitalisation permitted up to 12%
Traditionally fermented in oak cask, now stainless steel more common
Traditional accompaniment to seafood
What one grape is permitted in Muscadet AC?
Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet)
What style of wines are produced in Muscadet AC?
Dry, neutral wines with green apple, grassy aromas and crisp acidity
Perfect for enjoying with seafood
Where will you find the longest established vineyards in Muscadet?
Muscadet Côteaux de la Loire AC
In which Muscadet AC will you find a fuller bodied, less acidic style of Muscadet?
Muscadet Côteaux de la Loire AC on the right bank of the river
Which Muscadet AC is included by its proximity to Lake Grandlieu?
Muscadet Côte de Grandlieu AC
Which Muscadet AC has its vineyards on rolling hills with some very high quality sites?
Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine AC
Vallet & Saint Fiacre produce wines suitable for ageing
Is racking to remove gross lees permitted for a Muscadet Sur Lie?
Yes one racking to remove gross lees is permitted
Re Muscadet Sur Lie:
How long must the wine stay in contact with the fine lees for after fermentation?
For at least the winter following vintage, until bottling
Is filtering permitted before bottling a Muscadet Sur Lie?
Yes filtering is permitted immediately before bottling
Why will a Muscadet Sur Lie have more freshness?
Due to limited handling
Why will a Muscadet Sur Lie have more flavour and richness?
Imparted from autolysis, action of dead yeast cells or lees
Bottling for Muscadet Sur Lie must take place during two set periods what are they?
- March 1 - June 30
Or
- October 15 - November 30 (1 year after vintage)
When are Muscadet Sur Lie’s released for sale?
After the third Thursday in March
Why are there two bottling dates for Muscadet Sur Lie?
The second bottling date is for wines benefiting from longer lees contact
Where must Sur Lie wine be bottled?
In the winery where it is made
Negociante therefore must buy grapes or must, rather than finished wine
With a few famous exceptions, I.e. Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé why are wines from the Loire underrated outside of France?
- Partly because the Loire’s best reds are distinguished by their delicacy rather than their weight and longevity
- Many of the finest wines are made from Chenin Blanc, a great associated with very ordinary wine outside the middle Loire: Anjou-Saumur and Touraine
- As one of the most varied wine regions there are a lot of different styles for consumer to understand
What is the biggest market for most Loire Wines?
Locally to be enjoyed with local seafood and in Paris
How devastating was the Spring frost of 1992?
Devastating it destroyed up to 90% of the crop in some Loire regions
With the exception of England’s vineyards which region represents the north western limit of vine cultivation in Europe?
The Loire Valley
What force warms the Muscadet region?
The warming Gulf Stream
What is the average vine density in the Loire?
High between 4,000-5.900 plants per ha on average and 10,000 plants per hectare in some Sancerre vineyards
What caused herbaceous flavours in Loire reds in the late 1980s?
Excess vigour
Canopy management seems to have resolved this issue
Cover crops have long been the norm
Crop thinning is relatively common
Is mechanical harvesting common in the Loire?
Yes it is relatively common, but cannot be used for the sweet white wines of the middle Loire, where successive tries through the vineyards are needed to select only the ripest grapes
What are the shared traditional similar principles Loire winemakers share with their counterparts in Germany?
- Avoiding malolactic fermentation
- Avoiding oak influence - preferring to ferment in inert containers and bottle wines early perhaps after Lees contact in the case of Muscadet
What was the result of the drop in demand for sweet wines in the late 1990s?
A rash of experimentation in the Loire
- barrel maturation
- barrel fermentation (Anjou specifically)
- greater colour extraction, skin contact, temperature control, pumping over
Is Chapitalisation allowed in the Loire?
Yes it is the norm for both red and whites and is usually done to a maximum of an additional 2.5% alcoholic strength except in exceptionally hot vintages
What are the dominant grape varieties by sub region in the Loire?
Melon de Bourgogne and a little Folle Blanche dominate in the mouth of the Loire in Nantais
The middle Loire (Anjou-Saumur and Touraine) is home to Cabernet Franc or Chenin Blanc
The upper Loire (Central Vineyards) is mostly Sauvignon Blanc for whites and Pinot Noir for reds and rosés
What is Rosé de Loire?
- A generic and relatively important appellation creased in 1974 for rosé wine made from a blend of Loire red grapes of which Cabernet constitutes at least 30 % of the Belen
- The wine may be produced anywhere within Anjou, Saumur and Touraine zones
- It is always dry.
- Quality wines it lies somewhere between a Rosé d’Anjou and Cabernet d’Anjou
* Loire red grapes (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pineau d’Aunis, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Grolleau)
What does liquoreux mean?
A French term meaning ‘syrupy sweet’ used for very rich, often Botrytizedbwines that are markedly sweeter than Moelleux wines
What does Sur Lie mean?
- French term meaning ‘on the lees’ customarily applied to white wines whose principal deviation from everyday white wine making techniques was some form of lees contact
- The term has been used most commonly for Muscadet to differentiate those wines which remained on their lees after fermentation, usually in tank, in an effort to increase flavour and texture
- The practice and term has spread south to the Languedoc and outside of France and has proved a useful way of adding flavour and value to the produce of relatively neutral grapes such as Chenin Blanc in South Africa
What is Melon de Bourgogne?
- A French white grape variety
- Famous in only one region Muscadet, also grown to a limited degree in Vézelay in northern Burgundy
- Origins in Burgundy but outlawed there at various times in the 16th and 17th century
- Resists cold well, produces regularly and generously
- Relatively neutral white
What is Grolleau or Goslet?
- Everyday red grape variety of Touraine, Loire Valley
- Produces high yields of relatively thin, acidic wine
- Plantings are falling steadily only 2,000 hectares in 2000 as it is being systematically replaced with Gamay and Cabernet Franc
- It is allowed into the Rosé appellation but not the red versions of AC wines such as Anjou, Saumur and Touraine
- It has played a major role in Rosé d’Anjou, where it is commonly blended with Gamay, which ripens just before it
