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WSET 3 - Geoff > C18 - The Loire Valley (reviewed) > Flashcards

C18 - The Loire Valley (reviewed) Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the four sub-regions of the Loire from east to west?

A

Nantais

  • Appelations: Muscadet, Muscadet Sevres et Maine
  • Climate: cool maritime
  • Grape: Melon Blanc

Anjou Saumur

  • Appelation (W2E): Savennieres, Coteaux du Layon, Anjou, Saumur, Saumur Champigny
  • Climate: Cool climate (warmer - protection from Mauges)
  • Soils: clay soils (some vineyard benefit from warmer stony soils)
  • Wine: Saumur - sparkling CB, Anjou -dry white, new oak

Touraine

  • Main appleations (W2E): Bourgueil, Chinon, Vouvray, Touraine (generic)
  • Climate: cool (cooler and wetter)
  • Soils: Clay
  • Main grape:

Central vineyards

  • Main appleations: Puilly Fume, Sanceree, Menetou Salon
  • Soils: Chalky, stony well drained
  • Climate: cool contiental
  • Main grape: Sauvignon Blanc
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2
Q

What is the regional generic appellation covering the whole of the Loire?

A

There isn’t one

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3
Q

What is the IGP that covers the Loire? Describe.

A

Val de Loire - Straightforward wines with freshness, light body and simple fruit flavours

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4
Q

What is the climate of the Loire?

A

Overall cool climate.

  • Nantais - Maritime
  • Anjou
    • Slightly warmer and drier than might be expected
    • Protected by Mauges hills
    • Some vineyards are warmed by stony soils
  • Touraine - Wetter and cooler than Anjou, with clay soils
  • Central vineyards - Continental

Weather varies wildly in the region so vintages are very important

Region is prone to fungal disease caused by rain

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5
Q

Describe the best vineyards in the Loire

A
  • South facing
  • Mid-slope
  • Often facing the river for reflected light and heat
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6
Q

What are the main grape varieties of the Loire?

A
  • Sauvignon Blanc (Tourraine, Sauvignon Blanc)
  • Chenin Blanc
  • Melon Blanc
  • Cabernet Franc
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7
Q

Which area of the Loire has the smallest production area?

A

Central Vineyards

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8
Q

Describe Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé?

A

Soils: Chalky, Well-drained, Stony

Wine:

  • Dry, High acidity
  • Hints of green apple and wet stone
  • Subtle smoky notes from Pouilly-Fumé

Winemaking

  • Gentle pneumatic pressing
  • Temperature controlled, stainless steel vats
  • Can be given a broader texture
    • fermenting and matureing in old oak vessels
    • Ageing on their lees
  • MLF: Dependent on vintage- cooler weather produces a greater need for MLF due to higher acidity
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9
Q

Name a village and a vineyard in Sancerre, noted for particularly expressive wines

A

Chavignol Les Monts Damnés

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10
Q

How long can wines from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé be aged?

A

Generally they’re not designed to be

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11
Q

What is the most important appellation to the west and south of Sancerre?

A
  • Menetou-Salon
  • Produces Sauvignon Blanc-based wine
  • More moderately priced wines made in the same style as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé
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12
Q

How are the vineyards to the south and east of Sancerre located?

A

On the tributaries of the Loire

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13
Q

Where does the majority of Sauvignon Blanc come from in the Loire?

A

Touraine

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14
Q

Describe Touraine

A

Located west of Menetou Salon

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc

Appelation:

  • Touraine is a generic appleation
  • Generic wines from Touraine are labelled under a varietal label such as Sauvignon de Touraine

Wine style

  • Often less concentration than more prestigious appellation
  • Made in a simple fruity style
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15
Q

Describe Chenin Blanc in Loire

A
  • Characteristics: High acidity and Non-aromatic
  • Appleations: Responsible for the greatest wines of Touraine and Anjou-Saumur
  • Viticulture: It is common for grapes to reach different levels of ripeness, even within one bunch. Need to harvest carefully (several passes to pick the grapes at a desired level of ripeness) or wine will taste green, herbaceous aromas
  • Wine style is determined by the level ripeness (when it is picked)
    • Sparkling wines - barely ripe
    • Ripest - sweet - Shrivelled by the sun or affected by noble rot
    • Recent harvesting trend to achieve greater ripeness, even for dry wines, resulting in higher alcohol wines
  • Flavours:
    • Vary from fresh apple to tropical fruit depending on grape ripeness
    • Young Dry - Can show Steely, smoky character
    • Sweet - Apricot and citrus peel flavours of noble rot
    • Aged: Richer and rounder Aromas of honey, toast and hay High acidity
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16
Q

Can dry/sweet Chenins age?

A

Yes, for decades

17
Q

Why are Chenins different from region to region?

A

Soil and climate both have an important influence on the character of Chenin

18
Q

Describe Vouvray?

A

Clay soils Cool climate

Located east of the city of Tours, in Touraine

Wine:

  • Sparkling and still Dry to lusciously sweet
  • The vintage dictates the style in which Vouvray is vinified
  • Which creates Light body Fresh, fruity and floral flavours

Rarely fermented or matured in new oak

19
Q

Which villages lie to the west of Vouvray?

A

Anjou and Saumur

20
Q

Describe Anjou and Saumur

A
  • Located west of Vouvray
  • Climate: Similar to that of Vouvray (cool climate and clay soils)
  • Saumur: known for sparkling Chenin, made in the traditional method
  • Anjou: known for dry wines often matured in new oak
21
Q

Which areas are just to the west part of Anjou-Saumur?

A

Savennières and Coteaux du Layon

22
Q

Descrive Savennières and Coteaux du Layon

A

Overall

  • Climate: Warmer than Touraine
  • Wine: warmer climiate means Medium to full-bodied wines, Less floral

Savennières -

  • Full bodied
  • Chenin Dry
  • Can be complex and age worthy
  • No noble rot - The vineyards are well exposed, so circulation of air impedes the development of noble rot

Coteaux du Layon

  • Some of the most renowned sweet wines of the region
  • Located in the sheltered valley of the river Layon to the south of the Loire which encourages noble rot to develop
23
Q

What are the most favoured sites/appellations of the Coteaux du Layon?

A

Bonnezeaux Quarts de Chaume

Produce some of the world’s greatest sweet wines

24
Q

Describe Melon Blanc

A
  • Also known as Muscadet or Melon de Bourgogne
  • viticultural characteristics: ripens early and is frost-resistant so well suited to the cool climate Nantais
25
Q

Describe Nantais region

A
  • Located to the far west of the Loire region and mostly south of the river
  • Known for Muscadet
  • Greatest production come from the highly regarded Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation
26
Q

Describe Muscadet wines?

A

Muscadet wine:

  • Dry, High acidity
  • Medium alcohol, Light body
  • Subtle green fruit flavours
  • Should be drunk young

Maximum permitted alcohol for Muscadet wines 12% abv

Maturation:

  • Traditionally in large, old oak vessels
  • Now more commonly in stainless steel or concrete

Muscadet (Sèvre et Maine) Sur Lie is a speacility

  • Bottled the Spring following the vintage
  • spends winter on the lees before bottling giving richer texture
27
Q

Describe Cabernet Franc in Loire.

A

Well suited for climate as it flowers and ripens early

Site climate, Soil and Winemaking techniques dictates the style in which Cabernet Franc is vinified

Main appelation:

  • Chinon
  • Bourgueil
  • Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

Wine:

  • Sandy soils: Light, fruity wines for early drinking
  • Limestone/clay soils (south facing slopes): Fuller bodied, more tannic

Some producers age in oak

The best can evolve in bottle over many years

Saumur (Saumur, Saumur-Champigny) also produce CF

  • Lighter in body and tannin than those of Touraine,
  • Juicy berry fruit and floral notes. Young drinking
  • Can be served chilled
  • Some producers making fuller-bodied, age worthy reds
28
Q

Describe Chinon

A

Located: western part of Touraine, to the south of the Loire, just east of Saumur

Main grape: Cabernet Franc

29
Q

What is the second most planted black variety in the Loire?

A

Gamay

30
Q

Describe Gamay in Loire

A

Regionns: Touraine and Anjou

Style: Fruity, early drinking wines

31
Q

What is the third red grape planted in the Loire?

A
  • Pinot Noir
  • Planted in Central Vineyards
  • Rare becasue the best sites are usually reserved for Sauvignon Blanc
  • Produced in Light in style
32
Q

Describe Rosé in Loire Loire

A

Rosé produce in Mainly Anjou-Saumur, Significant amounts in Touraine and Sancerre

Rosé de Loire:

  • Anjou-Saumur (some in Touraine too)
  • Always dry
  • Min of 30% Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet d’Anjou

  • Highest quality Rosé of Loire
  • Always medium sweet
  • Made from a blend of Cab Franc and Cab Sauvignon

Rosé d’Anjou

  • Less sweet than Cabernet d’Anjou
  • Made predominantly from Grolleau
  • Blended with Cab Franc and other local varieties

Touraine Rosé

  • Can be made from a wide array of black grape varieties
  • Usually dry, fresh and fruity

Sancerre Rosé

  • Must be made from Pinot Noir
  • Usually pale in colour and light in body
  • Dry, with delicate fruit flavours
33
Q

How may Loire Rosés be vinified?

A
  • Direct pressing or short maceration on the skins
  • Fermented in inert, temperature controlled vessels to retain fruit flavours

WSET 3 - Geoff (45 decks)

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