France - Loire Valley Flashcards
What are the principal varieties of Pays Nantais?
- Melon
- Chardonnay
- Gamay
- Folle Blanche
- Cabernet Franc
What are the climate of Pays Nantais?
A cool maritime climate with cool springs, warm and humid summers.
The thread of rain at any time through the growing season especially in March/April (affecting flowering) and in September (affecting harvest)
Does Melon bud and ripen early or late?
It buds early and ripens early.
What are the characteristics of Melon?
- High acidity
- Light body
- low to the low end of medium alcohol
- low aromatic intensity
- often made sur lie
What diseases Melon is resistant to and susceptible to?
Good resistance: powder mildew
Susceptible: downy mildew and botrytis rot
What vineyard management techniques are often used for Melon?
- spray to prevent fungal diseases
- canopy management, leaf removal
What are the Muscadet appellations?
- Muscdet Sevre et Maine
- Muscadet
- Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire
- Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu
What is the aging requirement of the sur lie?
Must be bottled between March 1st and November 30th of the year following harvest
Up to what percentage ABV is chaptalization permitted in Pays Nantais?
12 %
Using bullet points, briefly describe the process of ageing the wines of Pays Nantais sur lie. Include details on what effect this has on the wine.
- After the alcoholic fermentation is completed, the wine is racked off to remove the gross lees.
- The wine then remains in contact with the fine lees, usually in a glass-lined concrete tanks.
- The wine stays on the fine lees through the winter following harvest and until bottling.
- Sur lie wines must be bottled between 1 March and 30 November of the year following harvest and in the winery in which they were made.
- Ageing on the lees increases the body and mouthfeel of the wine while retaining freshness and sometimes a small amount of carbon dioxide, which is part of the style of these wines.
What are the Muscadet Cru Communaux?
- Clisson
- Gorges
(on the lees for 24 months) - La Pallet (on the lees for 18 months)
Briefly describe why multiple passes may have to be done when handpicking Chenin Blanc grapes at harvest.
Chenin Blanc does not ripen evenly within a bunch and in certain vintages i.e. cooler vintages, this can be a particular issue. To ensure the grapes are fully ripe, several passes may be made during harvest to pick the riper berries. This variety is also susceptible to botrytis. Botrytis attacks berries and multiple passes are necessary to pick the berries affected by botrytis and depending on the desired sweetness levels required for the style of wine.
What are the max yields of the sweet wine appellation with Coteaux du Layon AOC?
Quarts de Charme Grand Cru: 20 hl/ha
Coteaux du Layon Premieur Cru Chaume: 25 hl/ha
Bonnezeaux: 25 hl/ha
Coteaux du Layon + named village: 30 hl/ha
Coteaux du Layon: 35 hl/ha
Very shallow soils over limestone. Fruit grown on these soils are said to produce the most aromatic wines that are first to be ready to drink and to have less potential for ageing in the bottle.
Caillottes
The same limestone and marl that is to be found in Chablis. Fruit grown on these soils are said to produce the most structured wines that need long maturation before they are ready to drink and age well.
Terre Blanches
Flinty soils that accumulates heat and leads to early ripening. Fruit grown on these soils are said to produce mineral and smoky wines.
Silex
Evaluate the role of négociants in the Loire Valley as a whole.
Negocients are very important selling 50 percent of all wine by volume for the Loire Valley as a whole. The top 10 negociants account for 82 percent of all sales within the negociant sector. Negociants have increasingly opted to vinify their wines themselves rather than relying on mainly on buying finished wines. The large negociant companies have wineries spread across the Loire from the Pays Nantais to Sancerre. Some have also bought prestige estates. Examples include Grand Chais de France buying Charteau des Fesles (Bonnezaux) and Chateau de Cleray (Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine) and Ackerman buying Chateau de Variere (Anjou) and Chateau de Sancerre. Equally, an increasing number of family estates has a negociant side to their business. This tendency has accelerated with the recent frosts and hail damage, which have severely reduced their crop, so buying in grapes, juice or wine can be a way of keeping their clients and avoiding severe financial problems.
Does Chenin Blanc bud and ripen early or later?
It buds early, prone to spring frost. It ripens late making it vulnerable to the onset of autumn rains. It ripens unevenly
Does Cabernet Franc bud and ripen early or later?
It buds early, it prone to spring frost. It is a mid-ripening variety
What are the 2 smaller AOCs within Savennieres?
- Savennieres la Roche aux Moines
- Coulee de Serrant (monppole, owned by Nicolas Joly)
30 hl/ha for dry wines
What are the soils of Vouvray?
flinty, clay, and limestone over a tuff, enabling drainage
What are the climate of the Central Vineyards?
A continental with cold winters and warm summers
what are the climatic threats in the Central Vineyards?
Spring frosts and summer hailstorms
Does Sauvignon Blanc bud and ripen early or later?
It buds later and ripens relatively early. It is suitable to be grown in cool climates and regions with a threat of early autumn rains
What diseases Sauvignon Blanc prone to?
Powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot and trunk diseases (esca)
Who founded “Renaissance des appellations / Return to Terroir” group?
Nicolas Joly
What are variety requirement of Pouilly Fume?
Sauvignon Blanc only. A little rounder and less aromatic than Sancerre and needs a little more time - six months to a year in a bottle
What are the variety requirement of Quincy?
Yield?
Sauvignon Blanc (90%) and Sauvignon Gris
Same as Sancerre - 65hl/ha for whites.
What are the famous vineyards of Sancerre?
Cotes des Monts Damnes (Chavignol)
Cul de Beaujeu
- both terre blanches
Les Romains
- silex
What are the variety requirement of Reuilly?
White: 100$ Sauv Blanc
Red: 100% Pinot Noir
Rose: Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir
