CRÉMANT DE LOIRE Flashcards
LOIRE VALLEY
- The production of Crémant de Loire is roughly equal to sparkling Vouvray and Saumur combined
- Total sparkling wines account for
about 13 per cent of all Loire appellation wines.
P Production is centred in Saumur for Crémant de Loire and sparkling Saumur. - About 90 per cent of Crémant de Loire is white and most is Brut.
In general, the white Chenin Blanc-dominant wines have medium intensity green apple and citrus flavours with light toasty autolytic notes. - Wines with two to three years of age can develop honeyed aromas.
- The wines have high acidity. Most wines are Brut in style, but Demi-Sec is also made. Brut Zéro is increasingly popular.
The prices are mainly mid-priced, with a few wines at premium prices.
Crémant de Loire
- Fruit for Crémant is grown in the middle Loire districts of Anjou-Saumur and Touraine only.
- This is about a 200 km stretch of river Loire and its tributaries, which help to moderate the temperature. Within this area, the zone
south and south-west of Saumur is the source of most of fruit for Crémant. Flatter land is suitable for sparkling wine grapes
(requiring a lower level of ripeness), with the best-exposed sites being reserved for still wines.
CLIMATE
- The Atlantic Ocean extends its cool, mild influence to just east of Tours, in the centre of Touraine. This covers most of the area delimited by the Crémant de Loire appellation.
- Temperatures are reasonably regular throughout the year with no great extremes. This mild climate is well suited to grow grapes
for Crémant with low alcohol levels in the base wines and high acidity. However, fungal diseases and untimely rain (during
flowering, fruit set and at harvest) can be a problem.
SOILS
- In such a large region, there is a wide range of soils, including clay-limestone, flint-clay, sand, gravel and tuff. There is more schist
and limestone in Anjou and more chalk in Touraine. Overall, key properties include the good drainage and water retention
characteristics of limestone elements. - The best-exposed sites are generally used for still wines, as they need a greater level of ripeness, whereas maintaining acidity is
more important for sparkling wines. Thus, vineyards for sparkling wine are often likely to be less well-exposed sites with a higher
proportion of clay. However, soils with excessive clay are not classified within the appellation, as they would be too cold and lack
good drainage. Clay-limestone soils and flint-clay soils tend to produce the most structured wines. - Due to high lime content in the soils, rootstocks such as Fercal and Riparia Gloire de Montpellier are used to protect the vines from chlorosis.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Crémant de Loire can be made from the common varieties of the region – including Chenin Blanc (the major part of most wines),
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau Noir and Gris, Pineau d’Aunis, Pinot Noir – and Chardonnay.
- A maximum of 30 per
cent Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d’Aunis is allowed in the blend, together or separately.
- Notably, Sauvignon Blanc is not
allowed (though see Saumur Mousseux below); its aromatic profile is typically not well suited to traditional method.
Vines are pruned to a greater crop load than for still wine, as the base wines do not require high levels of fruit concentration. The
maximum yield is 74 hL/ha. Producers declare in July to make Crémant
Winemaking
The most common type of press used is the pneumatic press, to produce high-quality juice and low phenolics.
- Base wines are typically fermented in stainless steel tanks, as oak flavours are not desired. However, some top cuvées are fermented in oak (e.g.
Bouvet-Ladubay’s Cuvée Trésor).
- Practice varies with regard to malolactic conversion, with some putting wine through full or partial
conversion, while others avoid it.
- Wines from different areas within the Crémant de Loire appellation may be blended before second fermentation in the bottle to
maintain consistency in the larger brands. - Time on lees varies from the minimum nine months (preserving primary fruit) to up to two
years for a more obviously autolytic style. - Use of reserve wines is not typical in mid-priced bottlings but is more common in
premium wines.
PRESTIGE DE LOIRE
A new top tier sparkling Loire category, Prestige de Loire, was launched in 2018 (with wines dating back to 2010) on the initiative of
InterLoire.
- Wine at a minimum price of €10 in France.
- It applies across the Crémant de Loire, Anjou,
Saumur and Vouvray appellations.
- The wines must be white only, from Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, singly or blended.
- A minimum of 24 months’ ageing on lees is required
- The wines must be vintage-dated and must be in the Brut style (including Brut Nature and
Extra Brut; i.e. less than 12g/L dosage). - Producers must also achieve a set of environmental standards, aiming at sustainable
viticulture, within five years.
SAUMUR MOUSSEUX
- The wines must be a minimum of 60 per cent Chenin Blanc and may contain a maximum of 10 per cent Sauvignon Blanc.
- Rosé wines must be a minimum of 60 per cent Cabernet Franc and again may contain a maximum of 10 per cent Sauvignon Blanc.
- Mechanical harvest is allowed, and more juice can be extracted (100 litres from 130 kilos) than for Crémant, enabling producers to make more wine, and
in a cheaper way, but at a potentially lower quality. - Vines are pruned to allow a greater crop load, 20 per cent greater for sparkling than for still wine as the base wines do not require high levels of fruit concentration.
- The maximum yields for sparkling wines are 67hL/ha for Saumur.
VOUVRAY MOUSSEUX
- Chenin Blanc is the dominant variety, which must be 95 per cent of the blend for Vouvray Mousseux.
- The production rules are broadly
similar to Saumur. - There is also a tiny production of Vouvray Pétillant (lightly sparkling) and a growing fashion for Pet Nat.
- Vines are pruned to allow a greater crop load, 20 per cent greater for sparkling than for still wine as the base wines do not require high levels of fruit concentration.
- The maximum yields for sparkling wines are 65 hL/h for Vouvray
