France - Loire Valley: Anjou-Saumur and Touraine Flashcards
1
Q
Key varieties in Anjou-Saumur (5)
Key varieties in Tourraine (5)
A
Anjou-Saumur:
a) Cab Franc = approx 40%; b) Chenin = approx 25%; c) Grolleau Noir = approx 7%; d) Cab Sav = approx 5%; e) Chardonnay = approx 5%.
Tourraine:
a) Cab Franc = approx 31%; b) Chenin = approx 21%; c) Sauvignon B = approx 21%; d) Gamay = approx 10%;
e) Malbec = approx 3%.
2
Q
Climate in A-S (2)
Climate in Tourraine (2)
Soil types: A-S (2) / Tourraine (1)
Common factors (3)
A
- Anjou-Saumur: a) more marked martime influence (moderates continentality) than in Tourraine; b) fog around the River Layon, favouring the spread of botrytis (noble rot).
- Tourraine: a) continental climate (cold winters, warm summers); b) not as extreme as in Central Vineyards (some maritime influence).
- Wide range of soil types: a) A-S = mostly schist & limestone; b) Tourraine = more chalk.
- Common factors: a) continental climate in both, higher maritime influence in A-S; b) adequate rain falls throughout the year (spring: flowering / fruit set; summer: disease pressure; late summer / autumn: affects harvest); c) best-exposed sites are reserved for still wines.
3
Q
Budding & ripening
Advantages (2)
Disadvantages (4)
Flavour characteristics
Quality level
Price level
A
Dominant variety in the middle Loire.
- early budding / late ripening.
- advantages: a) high yields (commercial / volume); b) prone to botrytis (noble rot).
- disadvantages: a) vulnerable to autumn rains; b) high yields (quality / premium wines); c) ripens unevenly (several passes / limits mechanization); d) vulnerable to frost.
- diseases: a) botryties; b) powdery mildew; c) trunk diseases.
- flavour characteristics (dry / off-dry styles): med intensity of green apple, lemon; sometimes with steely / smoky character; med alc, noticeable high acid, sometimes off-set with some RS.
- quality level: good to v. good, with a few outstading ex.
- price level: inexpensive to mid price, with a few premium.
4
Q
Budding & ripening
Advantages (2)
Disadvantages (2)
Flavour characteristics
Quality level
Price level
A
- early budding / mid ripening.
- advantages: a) less vulnerable to autumn rains; b) winter hardy.
- disadvantages: a) vulnerable to frost; b) can be excessive leafy if unripe.
- diseases: a) coulure; b) reduced yields (due to coulure).
- flavour characteristics: pronounced redcurrant, raspberry, violet; can have leafy aromas light to med body, med tannins and high acid.
- quality level: good to v. good, some outstanding.
- price level: inexpensive to mid priced.
5
Q
Budding & ripening
Advantages (4)
Disadvantages (3)
Flavour characteristics
Quality level
Price level
A
- found mostly in Torraine (some in Anjou as well).
- early budding / early ripening.
- advantages: a) less vulnerable to autumn rain; b) produces approachable wines; c) it’s very fashionable (which gurantees a certain level of demand); d) high yielding (commercial / volume)
- disadvantages: a) susceptible to spring frosts; b) vulnerable to millerandage (reduces yields); c) thin / delicate skin is vulnerable to rot & wind; c) very vigorous vine.
- flavour characteristics: med to pronounced aromas of fresh red cherries, red plum, often banana / kirsch (typical of semi-carbonic), light to med in body, med alc, light to med in tannins, med(+) to high acid.
- quality level: good to v. good
- price: inexpensive to med-priced.
6
Q
Chenin Blanc (4)
Cabernet Franc (5)
Rose wines (3)
A
- Chenin blanc: a) cool to mid temp (fermentation can last months); b) fermentation vessels: stainless steel / large old oak; c) malo is typically avoided; d) ageing vessels: neutral, to retain primary fruit.
- Cabernet Franc: a) mid temp (to preserve primary aromas); b) fermentation vessels: concrete or old vats (punch downs / pump overs); c) many producers use ambient yeasts; d) typically aged in old oak (range of sizes); e) proportion of NFO for premium wines.
- Rose: a) many are made by direct press; b) short maceration in some; c) short ageing (3-4 months) in neutral vessels.
7
Q
How many regional appellations cover the middle Loire?
A
- there isn’t a regional generic appellation for Loire (such as Bordeaux AOC.
- 3 regional appellations in middle Loire: Anjou AOC, Saumur AOC and Tourraine AOC.
- IGP Val de Loire covers the whole of Loire.
8
Q
Location
Yields
Varieties permitted
Style
Quality level
Price level
A
- covers red, white and rose in all Anjou, middle Loire.
- yields: a) red & white = 60 hL/ha; b) rose = 65 hL/ha.
- Anjou Blanc: min 80% of Chenin Blanc
- Anjou Rouge: min 70% of Cab Franc and/or Cab Sav.
- style: low flavour / aroma intensity, youthful, simple.
- quality level: acceptable to good.
- price level: inexpensive
9
Q
Location
Yields
Varieties permitted
Release date regulation
Style
Quality level
Price level
Producer’s current reaction to the appellation system
A
- still red wines only.
- yield: 55 hL/ha.
- Cab Franc and or Cab Sav only; in practice, these wines are mostly Cab Franc varietal.
- can only be release in September the year after harvest.
- style: more aroma / fruit concentration, slighty more complex due to longer ageing.
- quality level: good - v. good
- price level: mid-priced.
- significant number of producers opt to use Vin de France instead of the appellation system.
10
Q
Location
Yields (CdL & CdL + named village)
Varieties permitted
Style
Quality level
Price level
Recent trends (1)
A
- large appellation on the banks of the river Layon.
- yields: a) Coteaux du Layon = 35 hL/ha; b) CdL + named village = 30 hL/ha.
- Chenin blanc
- style: a) AOC specializes in botrytised Chenin Blanc; if it fails to develop, grapes are dried on the vines; b) pronounced aromas of apple & citrus (cooked), honey notes; sweet, medium body, medium alc and high acid.
- quality level: good to v. good
- price level: mid-priced to premium.
- sales on all of these sweet wines have dropped due to a low demand for sweet wines; producers have switched to producing higher volumes of dry / lower volumes of sweet wine.
11
Q
Grand Cru & 1er Cru AOC
Location
Yields (Grand Cru & 1er Cru)
Varieties permitted
Style
Quality level
Price level
A
- Grand Cru: Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru AOC
- 1er Cru: Coteaux du Layon 1er Cru AOC
- location: on the banks of the river Layon, close to where it joins the Loire.
- yields: a) Quarts de Chaume = 20 hL/ha; CdL 1er Cru: 25 hL/ha
- Chenin Blanc
- style: generally similar to CdL AOC, but with higher alc, rich texture and very high flavour intensity.
- quality: v. good to outstanding.
- price level: typically premium, with a few super-premium.
12
Q
Location
Varieties permitted
Yields
Style
Quality level
Price level
New trends
A
- northern bank of Loire, near Angers
- Chenin Blanc
- yield: a) 50 hL/ha (dry wine); b) 35 hL/ha (demi-sec and sweet)
- Style (dry): high acid, high alc (can be very austere in youth and used to require many years in bottle); with improved vineyard management / warmer conditions, slightly more fruity and approachable.
- quality level: good to v. good, with a few outstanding examples.
- price level: mid-priced to premium.
- new trend: some producers are anow creating premium wines using a proportion of new barrels.
13
Q
Location
Varieties permitted
Yields
Style
Quality level
Price level
A
- technically, anywhere in Loire; practically, mostly in Anjou.
- Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay and Grolleau Noir.
- yield: 60 hL/ha
- style: dry
- quality: acceptable to good
- price level: inexpensive
14
Q
Location
Varieties permitted
Yields
Style
Quality level
Price level
A
- can be produced anywhere in Anjou.
- varieties permitted: 2 Cabernets, Cot and Gamay.
- yield: 65 hL/ha
- style: pink-orange in colour, medium dry, medium intensity of red berry, med(+) acid, med alc.
- quality level: acceptable to good (some v. good).
- price level: inexpensive to mid-priced.
15
Q
Location
Varieties permitted
Yields
Style
Quality level
Price level
A
- can be produced anywhere in Anjou.
- varieties permitted: 2 Cabernets.
- yield: 60 hL/ha.
- style: medium dry, deeper in colour than most rose.
- quality level: good to v. good.
- price level: inexpensisive to mid-priced.
16
Q
Location
Varieties permitted (3)
Permitted Style (4)
Yields
Quality level
Price level
A
- location: in/ around the city of Saumur, on both banks of the Loire River.
- varieites permitted: a) Chenin Blanc; b) Cabernet Franc,
c) Cabernet Sauvignon (mostly). - Style: white, red, rose and sparkling.
- yields: generally, very high: a) whites = 60 hL/ha; b) red & rose: 57 hL/ha.
- quality level: inexpesnive to mid-priced.
- Price level: inexpensive to mid-priced
17
Q
Location
Variety permitted
Style
Yields
Quality level
Price level
A
- south of the city of Saumur, between the Layon and Loire rivers.
- varieties permitted: Chenin Blanc.
- style: lusciously sweet, high acid, cooked apple and citrus; with our without botrytis.
- quality level: good to v. good
- price level: mid-priced.
18
Q
Location
Varieties permitted (3)
Permitted style
Topographic influences
Yield
Wine style
Quality level
Price level
A
- location: east of the city of Saumur, on the south bank of the Loire, close to the border with Tourraine.
- permitted varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pineau d’Aunis.
- permitted styles: red
- topographic influences: a) small portions of tuffeau (chalk); b) flint; c) clay; d) soil types offer a combination of good drainage / water-holding potential.
- yield: max 57 hL/ha.
- wine style: typically pale ruby, med to med(+) intensity of redcurrant, earthy aromas, sometimes with leafy notes, med alc, high acid, medium tannins.
- quality level: good to v. good.
- Price level: inexpensive to mid-priced.
19
Q
Location
Varieties permitted (2 white / 4 black)
Permitted style
Yields
Quality level
Price level
A
- covers the whole of the Touraine area
- permitted varieties: a) Sauvignon Blanc; b) Chenin Blanc;
c) Malbec; d) Gamay; e) Grolleau; f) Pinot Noir. - permitted styles: white, rose, red, sparkling.
- Yields: a) white = 65 hL/ha; b) red & rose: 60 hL/ha.
- Quality level: acceptable to good
- price level: inexpensive to mid-priced.
20
Q
Location
Varieties permitted (2)
Topography & Mesoclimate
Style
Yield
Quality level
Price level
Other considerations (2)
A
- location: east of Tours, north bank fo the river Loire, centre of the Touraine region.
- permitted varieties: a) Chenin blanc (95%); b) Orbois (5%).
- topography: a) best vineyard sites = on the slopes overlooking the Loire river; b) soil types: flint, clay and limestone on tuffeau; c) sites situated away from the the Loire: more clay, colder, Chenin can’t ripen properly.
- mesoclimate: the river acts as a moderating influence on temperatures.
- style: a) dry: made every year; b) demi-sec: some in most years: c) sweet: much rarer.
- yield: 52 hL/ha
- quality level: good to v. good (some outstanding examples)
- price level: mid-priced to premium.
- other considerations: a) most important white wine appellation in Touraine; b) it’s difficult to know whether a Vouvray is dry or sweet, unless stated on the label.
21
Q
Location
Varieties permitted
Style
Yields
Quality level
Price level
Other considerations: why has it become a dynamic appellation? (2)
A
- faces Vouvray, from accross the river on the south bank, from the Loire to the Cher.
- permitted varieties: Chenin Blanc.
- style: a) dry white: every year; b) demi-sec: some of the vintages: c) sweet: much rarer.
- yield: 52 hL/ha (max)
- quality level: good to v. good (some outstanding examples)
- price level: inexpensive to mid-priced.
- other considerations: has become a very dynamic appellation because: a) newcomers flocking in due to cheper land prices; b) significant number of organic / biodynamic vineyards.
22
Q
Location
Varieties permitted (2)
Permitted styles (2)
Yields
Wine style
Quality level
Price level
A
- location: north bank of the Loire, west of Touraine
- permitted varieties: a) Cabernet Franc; b) Cabernet Sauvignon (max 10% of the blend)
- permitted styles: a) red (majority); b) rose.
- yield: 55 hL/ha
- wine style: med intensity in colour, med (+) to pronounced intensity of raspberries, cherry, blackberry, pencil shaving, med(+) to high tannins.
- quality level: good to v. good (some outstanting examples).
- price level: med. priced to premium
23
Q
Location
Varieties permitted (2)
Permitted styles (2)
Yields
Wine style
Quality level
Price level
A
- location: north bank of the Loire river, west of Touraine.
- permitted varieties: a) Cabernet Franc; b) Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Permitted styles: a) red (majority); b) rose.
- yield: 55 hL/ha.
- wine style: lighter than Bourgueil (planted on lighter sales of limestone and gravel); pale ruby in colour, med to med(+) intensity of redcurrants, raspberries, violets, earty and sometimes leafy; med alc, high acid, med tannins.
- quality level: good to v. good.
- price level: mid-priced to premium.
24
Q
Location
Varieties permitted (2)
Permitted style (3)
Yields
Wine style (range styles on red wines)
Quality level
Price level
A
- location: south bank of the Loire river, along the Vienne river, west of Touraine.
- permitted varieties: a) Chenin Blanc; b) Cabernet Franc; c) Cabernet Sauvignon.
- permitted styles: a) white; b) rose; c) red (min 90% Cab Franc, max 10% Cab Sav).
- yield: 55 hL/ha (max).
- wine style: a) some wines are lighter and delicate, with shorter maceration (6-8 days), from lighter soils (gravel and sand); b) some wines are more structured, with longer maceration (2-3 weeks, released upt to 2 years afte bottling), from heavier soils (wih clay); intense aromas of red fruit (developing cooked fruit with time), baking spices and game; high acid, med alc, med to med(+) tannins.
- quality level: good to v. good.
- price level: inexpensive to mid-priced, a few premium.
25
Total volume of wine produced: Anjou-Saumur x Tourraine
Rose wines (same)
White wines (same)
Red wines (same)
- Anjou-Saumur produces approx 2x more wine than Tourraine:
- Rose: Anjou produces 10x more rose than Tourraine
- Sparkling: Anjou maker significantly more spk wine than Tourraine.
- Red & White: Tourraine makes significantly more than Anjou-Saumur.
