C18 - The Loire Valley (reviewed) Flashcards
What are the four sub-regions of the Loire from east to west?
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
What is the regional generic appellation covering the whole of the Loire?
There isn’t one
What is the IGP that covers the Loire? Describe.
Val de Loire - Straightforward wines with freshness, light body and simple fruit flavours
What is the climate of the Loire?
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
Describe the best vineyards in the Loire
- South facing
- Mid-slope
- Often facing the river for reflected light and heat
What are the main grape varieties of the Loire?
- Sauvignon Blanc (Tourraine, Sauvignon Blanc)
- Chenin Blanc
- Melon Blanc
- Cabernet Franc
Which area of the Loire has the smallest production area?
Central Vineyards
Describe Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé?
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
Name a village and a vineyard in Sancerre, noted for particularly expressive wines
Chavignol Les Monts Damnés
How long can wines from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé be aged?
Generally they’re not designed to be
What is the most important appellation to the west and south of Sancerre?
- Menetou-Salon
- Produces Sauvignon Blanc-based wine
- More moderately priced wines made in the same style as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé
How are the vineyards to the south and east of Sancerre located?
On the tributaries of the Loire
Where does the majority of Sauvignon Blanc come from in the Loire?
Touraine
Describe Touraine
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
Describe Chenin Blanc in Loire
- 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
Can dry/sweet Chenins age?
Yes, for decades
Why are Chenins different from region to region?
Soil and climate both have an important influence on the character of Chenin
Describe Vouvray?
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
Which villages lie to the west of Vouvray?
Anjou and Saumur
Describe Anjou and Saumur
- 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
Which areas are just to the west part of Anjou-Saumur?
Savennières and Coteaux du Layon
Descrive Savennières and Coteaux du Layon
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
What are the most favoured sites/appellations of the Coteaux du Layon?
Bonnezeaux Quarts de Chaume
Produce some of the world’s greatest sweet wines
Describe Melon Blanc
- Also known as Muscadet or Melon de Bourgogne
- viticultural characteristics: ripens early and is frost-resistant so well suited to the cool climate Nantais
Describe Nantais region
- 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
Describe Muscadet wines?
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
Describe Cabernet Franc in Loire.
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
Describe Chinon
Located: western part of Touraine, to the south of the Loire, just east of Saumur
Main grape: Cabernet Franc
What is the second most planted black variety in the Loire?
Gamay
Describe Gamay in Loire
Regionns: Touraine and Anjou
Style: Fruity, early drinking wines
What is the third red grape planted in the Loire?
- Pinot Noir
- Planted in Central Vineyards
- Rare becasue the best sites are usually reserved for Sauvignon Blanc
- Produced in Light in style
Describe Rosé in Loire Loire
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
How may Loire Rosés be vinified?
- Direct pressing or short maceration on the skins
- Fermented in inert, temperature controlled vessels to retain fruit flavours
