Anjou and Saumur Wines- Loire Valley Flashcards
How big is the region of Anjou in the Loire?
532 hectares
Anjou Blanc- History
Monks played an important role in the development of the wine growing industry, as every monestry owned its own vineyard. When Henry 2 (Plantagenet) became king of England in 1154, he insisted that Anjou wines were served at Court during his reign- a trend continued by his successors. So for almost a thousand years, the crowned heads of France and England helped to build the reputation of Loire wines.
Anjou- Climate
Temperate oceanic climate, generally dry, illustrating the proverbial “Douceur- Angevine”- the mildness of Anjou
Anjou Blanc- Soil types
Dark schist soils known as “Anjou Noir”
Anjou Blanc- Varietals
Chenin with the addition of up to 20% Chardonnay or Sauvignon for spring wines.
100% Chenin for Long-Lived wines
How big is the AOC Anjou Coteaux De La Loire?
32 hectares
Anjou Coteaux De La Loire- Did you know?
The Coteaux De La Loire makes up a single geographical area, planted with Chenin grapes for making Anjou Coteaux De La Loire, and with Melom grapes for Muscadet Coteaux De La Loire
Anjou Coteaux De La Loire- Soil Types
Shallow brown soils over schist subsoils.
Anjou Coteaux De La Loire- Varietal, Colour and Style
Chenin Blanc
Sweet White
Anjou Fines Bulles- Size
89 hectares
Anjou Fines Bulles- Did you know?
Anjou Fines Bulles sparkling wines are made using the traditional method of secondary, in- bottle, fermentation. They are described as sparkling if the pressure inside the bottle is less than 2.5 bars, and “mousseaux” when the pressure stands at 3- 6 bars.
Anjou Fines Bulles- Soil Types
Dark schist soils known as “Anjou Noir”
Anjou Fines Bulles- Varietals, Colours and Styles
White: Chenin, Sauvignon, Chardonnay
Red: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pineau d’ Aunis, Gamay, Grolleau
Sparkling White, Sparkling Rose
How big is the Anjou Gamay production area?
98 hectares
Anjou Gamay- Did you know?
Anjou Gamay AOC’s primeur wines are ready to sell from the third Thursday in November, giving us a taste of what we can expect from the new vintage.
Anjou Gamay- Soil Types
Dark schist soils known as “Anjou Noir”
Anjou Gamay- Varietal
Gamay noir a jus Blanc
How big is production area for Anjou Rouge?
1,046 hectares
Anjou Rouge- Did you Know?
Anjou Rouge is the perfect expression of Cabernet as grown in the schist soils of the Loire- ideal for enthusiasts who would like to share their wine experiences as part of a meal with friends. Cabernet Franc gives the wine elegance and fruity flavours, while well- ripened Cabernet Sauvignon adds body, giving Anjou Rouge the potential to develop well over several years of aging.
Anjou Rouge- Soil Types
Dark schist soils known as “Anjou Noir”
Anjou Rouge- Varietals
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pineau d’ Aunis, Grolleau may also be added, to a maximum of 10%
What is the production area of Anjou Villages AOC?
161 hectares
Anjou Villages AOC- Did you Know?
The terroir is part of a number of plots within the larger Anjou AOC. These are the earliest parcels with the best soils, and enjoy excellent sun exposure
Anjou Villages AOC- Soil Types
Schist soils, partially covered by gravel formations
Anjou Villages AOC- Varietals
Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
What is the production area of Anjou- Villages Brissac AOC?
106 hectares
Anjou- Villages Brissac AOC- Did you know?
The Anjou Villages Brissac area is part of a number of plots within the Anjou Villages AOC, covering some ten communes around Brissac. The area has a history of producing red wines with excellent ageing potential. Geographically, it corresponds approximately to the Coteaux de l’Aubance AOC area.
Anjou Villages Brissac AOC- Soil Types
Schist soils, partially covered by gravel formations.
Anjou Villages Brissac- Varietals
Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Bonnezeaux AOC- Production Area
80 hectares
Bonnezeaux AOC- Did you know?
Bonnezeaux vines are planted on a succession of three south- west facing slopes, La Montagne, Beauregard and Fesles. To the north we find a gently undulating plateau at around 90 metres above sea level, while the Layton river flows through at around 29 metres above sea level.
Bonnezeaux AOC- Climate
Mesoclimate influences (a microclimate in which Mediterranean plant life thrives) help grapes reach extreme levels of ripeness and promote botrytis.
Bonnezeaux AOC- Soil Types
St Georges sandstone schists with quartz and phthanite lodes.
Bonnezeaux AOC- Varietals
Chenin Blanc, sweet wines
Cabernet- D’ Anjou- Production Area
5,485 hectares
Cabernet- D’-Anjou AOC- Did you know?
Cabernet-d’ Anjou AOC is an elegant, aromatic rose, whose finesse is apparent from the very first sniff. Flavours include ripe red fruit (strawberries, redcurrants and raspberries) and sometimes also tropical fruit. This wide spectrum of flavour, alongside a certain mild softness, gives the wine a deliciously easy- going character, while it’s mellow fragrance sets it apart from other generally dry roses.
Cabernet-d’ Anjou AOC- Soil types
Dark schist soils known as “Anjou Noir”. Terres Blanches (White Earth), the altered tuffeau limestone known as “Anjou Blanc”.
Cabernet D’ Anjou- Varietals
Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Chinon AOC- Production Area
2,300 hectares
Chinon AOC- Did you know?
Chinon wine is made from Cabernet Franc grape, finely nuanced by its links to this distinctive terroir. When grown in the light, Sandy- gravel soils along the banks of the Vienne, Chinon is rounded on the palate, supple and easy to drink. When grown in the denser soil of the limestone slopes, the wine gains a fuller body, is more robust and develops a much longer ageing potential. Chinon wines are universally appreciated for their rich, balanced smoothness.
Chinon AOC- Climate
Semi- Oceanique climate
Chinon AOC- Soil Types
Three main soil types: the terraces on the banks of the Vienna are made up of gravel and sand; slopes and hilltops are of yellow tuffeau while mounds and plateaux contain silliceaous clay and sand.
Chinon AOC- Varietal and Colours
White: Chenin
Red: Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Colours: White, Red, Rose
What is the production area of Coteaux De L’Aubance?
209 hectares
Coteaux De’LAubance- Did you know?
Like the Layon, the Aubance is a small river whose presence promotes the formation of morning mists and the development of noble rot in September and October
Coteaux De L’Aubance- Climate
Mesoclimate influences (a microclimate in which Mediterranean plant life thrives) help grapes reach extreme levels of ripeness and encourage botrytis.
Coteaux De L’Aubance- Soil Types
Schist soils with traces of slate
Coteaux De L’Aubance- Varietals and Colours
Chenin Blanc, Sweet Wine
Coteaux De Saumur AOC- Production Area
15 hectares
Coteaux De Saumur AOC- History
Saumur became a Huguenot stronghold under King Henry IV. By the 12th century, it was a major centre for wine trading, thanks largely to its excellent geographical location and geological conditions.
Coteaux De Saumur- Climate
Temperate Oceanic climate. A continental influence on the plots furthest from the Loire.
Coteaux De Saumur AOC- Soil Types
Limestone tuffeau
Coteaux De Saumur AOC- Varietal, Colour and Style
Chenin Blanc, White, Sweet Wine
Coteaux Du Layon- Production Area
1,455 hectares
Coteaux Du Layon AOC- History
From as early as 1579, Dutch merchants used the Layon a tributary of the Loire, as a transport route. They began to develop a trade in Layon wines, which travelled and aged very well. Coteaux Du Layon wines are sweet and luscious, with an almost infinite variety of flavours.
Coteaux Du Layon- Climate
Temperate Oceanic climate. Slopes have good exposure and airflow, helping grapes to reach extreme levels of ripeness and to botrytis. Proximity to the Layon promotes the development of noble rot.
Coteaux Du Layon- Soil Types
Sunny slopes to the south of the Loire; pebble soils, mainly schists- but can also contain clay and silica.
Coteaux Du Layon- Varietal, Colour and Style
Chenin Blanc, White, Sweet Wines
Coteaux Du Layon Premier Cru, Chaume AOC- Production Area
56 hectares
Coteaux Du Layon Premier Cru, Chaume AOC- Did You Know?
Coteaux Du Layon Premier Cru Chaume is the Loire’s one and only Premier Cru. The village of Chaume lies at the heart of the Coteaux Du Layon area, and is part of the commune of Rochefort Sur Loire.
Coteaux Du Layon Premier Cru, Chaume AOC- Climate
Mesoclimate influences (a microclimate in which Mediterranean plant life thrives) help grapes reach levels of extreme ripeness and promote botrytis.
Coteaux Du Layon Premier Cru, Chaume AOC- Soil Types
Schist and Sandstone terraces on South- facing slopes, and the shallow brown soils known as “Anjou Noir”.
Coteaux Du Layon Premier Cru, Chaume AOC- Varietal, Colour and Style
Chenin Blanc, White, Sweet Wines
Coteaux Du Layon Villages AOC- Production Area
200 hectares
Coteaux Du Layon Villages AOC- Did you know?
The production covers 6 communes in the Maine et Loire bordering the Layon: Beaulieu- Sur- Layon, Faye- d’Anjou, Rablay- Sur- Layon, Rochefort-Sur-Loire, Saint-Aubin-De-Luigne et Saint-Lambert-Du-Lattay. The municipality of St Aubin- De- Luigne is called “Pearl of the Layon”. These are great sweet whites that unveil the full expression of Chenin overripe: intense nose, opulence and vivacity.
Coteaux Du Layon Villages AOC- Varietal, Colour, Style
Chenin Blanc, White, Sweet White
Coteaux Du Loir AOC Blanc- Production Area
30 hectares
Coteaux Du Loir AOC- History
Developed by Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages, celebrated by Henry IV and carefully mapped under Louis XIV, the Coteaux Du Loir winegrowing area has been experiencing something of a revival since the 1970s, both in terms of quality and through a new surge of interest from the public.
Coteaux Du Loir AOC- Climate
Temperate climate broken down into a number of microclimates.
Coteaux Du Loir AOC- Soil Types
Chalk (tuffeau) from the Turonian era, broken down into siliceous clay on the steeper slopes.
Coteaux Du Loir Blanc AOC- Varietal and Colour
Chenin Blanc, White
Coteaux Du Loir AOC- Rouge and Rose: Production Area
40 hectares
Coteaux Du Loir AOC- Rouge and Rose: Varietals and Colour
Pineau d’ Aunis, Cabernet, Cot, Gamay, Grolleau
Red and Rose
Cremant De Loire AOC- Production Area
1,693 hectares
Cremant De Loire AOC- Did You Know?
Sparkling wines have long been produced in the Loire area. The Cremant De Loire AOC first came into being when INAO (the offical body regulating AOCs) issued a strict set of specifications to formalise the production of Cremant wine on a national scale. Given the skill and experience of the Loire region’s growers and producers, plus the favourable natural conditions, the production of Cremant De Loire has been able to develop smoothly over time.
Cremant De Loire AOC- Climates
Temperate Oceanic climate in Anjou- Saumur, Oceanic and Continental in Touraine and the Loir Valley.
Cremant Du Loire AOC- Soil Types
The Crèmant De Loire vineyards are spread across three areas- Anjou, Saumur and Touraine- explaining the wide variety of soil types.
Cremant De Loire- Varietals, Colours and Style
White: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon, Chardonnay
Red: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pineau d’Aunis
Sparkling, White and Rose
Cabernet de Saumur- Background
These slightly sweet rosés should not be limited to summer sipping, they are excellent accompaniments to a wide range of cuisines and make excellent aperitifs all year long as well.
Cabernet de Saumur- Appellations
ABERNET D’ANJOU, CABERNET DE SAUMUR, ROSÉ D’ANJOU
What styles are made in Cabernet de Saumur?
Off dry roses from Cabernet Franc
Cabernet de Saumur- Vineyard
Location:
The Cabernet d’Anjou and Rosé d’Anjou appellations overlap with the AOC Anjou; the Cabernet de Saumur area is identical to the AOC Saumur region.
Surface Area:
Cabernet d’Anjou: 4,000 hectares / 9,884 acres
Rosé d’Anjou: 2,400 hectares / 5,930 acres
Cabernet de Saumur: 75 hectares / 185 acres
Cabernet de Saumur- Wine
Annual Production:
Cabernet d’Anjou: 250,000 hl / 6,604,301 gallons
Rosé d’Anjou: 155,000 hl / 4,094,667 gallons
Cabernet de Saumur: 5,000 hl / 132,086 gallons
Yield:
55 hl/ha Cabernet d’Anjou
60 hl/ha Rosé d’Anjou and Cabernet de Saumur
Grape Varieties:
Cabernet d’Anjou and Cabernet de Saumur:
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Rosé d’Anjou: Grolleau, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pineau d’Aunis, Gamay, Malbec
Residual Sugar Content:
Cabernet d’Anjou: 10 g/L minimum
Rosé d’Anjou: 7 g/L minimum, generally less than 20 g/L
Cabernet de Saumur: 10 g/L maximum
Cabernet de Saumur- Tasting Notes
Appearance: Bright raspberry red or pale pink
Nose: Aromas of gooseberry, strawberry, roses with mint, white pepper
Flavors: Bursting with red berry and fruit flavors, slightly sweet with lively acidity to keep them refreshing.
