Grapes and wines of the Loire Valley

Question 1

List the subregions of the Loire Valley from east to west

Answer 1

Central Vineyards
Touraine
Anjou-Saumur
Nantais

Note none of these are appellations

Question 2

What is the IGP for Loire Valley?

Answer 2

Val de Loire IGP

Question 3

Describe the climates of each region

Answer 3

Overall cool climate
Central Vineyards: continental climate
Nantais: maritime climate
Anjou: warmer and drier than expected due to proximity to ocean, because Mauges hills protect them (plus warm stony soils)
Touraine: cooler and wetter (clay soils)

Question 4

What is special about the location of Loire Valley with respect to its grapes? How does this affect Loire Valley wine?

Answer 4

It is at the Northern limit for their production, and variations in weather patterns lead to wide differences in vintages.
High rainfall means risk of fungal disease

Question 5

Where are the best vineyards located?

Answer 5

With greatest exposure to sunshine and warmth, because fungal disease risks are high.
Southerly aspect, generally mid-slope, facing the river for extra heat and reflected light.

Question 6

Where is Sauvignon Blanc mainly grown?

Answer 6

Central Vineyards (least volume)
Touraine (greatest volume)

Question 7

Name the best known appellations and corresponding villages in the Central Vineyards for Sauvignon Blanc

Answer 7

Pouilly-Fumé (prestigious)
Sancerre (Chavignol, Les Monts Damnés) (prestigious)

Menetou-Salon (moderately priced)

Question 8

What soil type is associated with the premium Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé?

Answer 8

Very chalky and well-drained stony soil

Question 9

Describe the style of a high-quality Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé

Answer 9

Dry, high acidity, hints of green apple and wet stones
Pouilly-Fumé is said to have subtle smoky notes.
Some particularly expressive wines may have ageing potential (i.e. those from Les Monts Damnés or Chavignol) but mostly should be drunk young

Question 10

Describe winemaking practices for Sauvignon Blanc

Answer 10

Varies from producer to producer
Gentle pneumatic pressing, temperature-controlled stainless steel vats to create fresh and fruity wines.
Some may ferment and mature their wine in old oak vessels, and keep wine on lees to give a broader texture.
Some use new oak.
MLF depends on style, likely to be encouraged in cooler vintages to lower acidity.

Question 11

Describe white Touraine

Answer 11

Made from Sauvignon Blanc, usually varietally labelled e.g. ‘Sauvignon de Touraine’
Less concentration than those from more prestigious appellations
Simple fruity style

Question 12

Name the best known appellations for Chenin Blanc with corresponding key sites

Answer 12

Touraine (Vouvray)

Anjou-Saumur (Anjou [Savennières, Coteaux du Layon {Quarts de Chaume, Bonnezeaux}], Saumur)

Question 13

Describe the Chenin Blanc grape and growing characteristics

Answer 13

High acid, non-aromatic grape
Can achieve varying levels of ripeness in a single bunch - can result in green, herbaceous aromas if care is not taken to exclude unripe grapes during harvest (several passes may be needed during harvest time)

Question 14

Describe typical wine styles of Chenin Blanc based on grape ripeness

Answer 14

Dry or sweet
Still or sparkling
Degree of ripeness at harvest determines style:
Low ripeness = sparkling wine
Increasingly ripe to noble rot-affected (more trend to pick riper now)
Style varies based on soil and climate.

Young Chenin Blanc: flavours of fresh apple through to tropical fruit depending on grape ripeness
Dry wines have steely, smokey character
Sweet wines have apricot and citrus peel flavours of noble rot
Can age for decades, becoming richer and rounder, developing aromas of honey, toast and hay (well-balanced with high acidity)

Question 15

Describe Chenin Blanc from Vouvray

Answer 15

Still or sparkling
Dry to lusciously sweet depending on vintage
(cool climate and clay soils) - light to medium in body, fresh fruity and floral notes, rarely fermented or matured in new oak

Question 16

What is a typical style of Chenin Blanc from Saumur?

Answer 16

Warm stony soils, warmer climate than expected (Mauges Hills)
Saumur: sparkling wine via traditional method
Anjou: dry wines often matured in new oak

Question 17

What is a typical style of Chenin Blanc from Anjou?

Answer 17

Anjou: dry wines often matured in new oak

Question 18

Describe Chenin Blanc from Savennières, and Coteaux du Layon

Answer 18

Overall warm, dry climate compared to Touraine: medium to full-bodied, less floral.
Savennières:
-full-bodied dry Chenin Blanc.
-Can also produce late harvest Chenin Blanc because good air circulation in vineyard impedes noble rot development. = full-bodied, complex dry wine with ageing potential

Coteaux du Layon: Quarts de Chaume, Bonnezeaux
-Best known sweet wines (noble rot develops well in the valley of River Layon)

Question 19

What are alternative names of Melon Blanc?

Answer 19

Muscadet

Melon de Bourgogne

Question 20

Why is Melon Blanc well-suited to this region?

Answer 20

Ripens early, resistant to frost - well suited to cool climate

Question 21

List the key appellations for Melon Blanc

Answer 21

Nantais region: Muscadet (Muscadet Sèvre et Maine)

Question 22

Describe a typical Muscadet Melon Blanc

Answer 22

Dry, medium alcohol (maximum 12% permitted)
Were traditionally fermented in large oak vessels, but now stainless steel vats are more common.
High acidity, light body
Subtle green fruit flavours
Drink young

Question 23

What is Muscadet (Sèvre et Maine) sur Lie?

Answer 23

A speciality wine from the Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation.
Wine is bottled in spring following vintage, having spent the winter on its lees.
Lees contact gives wines a richer texture, and the wine is handled very little to maintain delicacy and freshness

Question 24

Why is Cabernet Franc well-suited to this region?

Answer 24

Early flowering and ripening

Question 25

List the key appellations for Cabernet Franc

Answer 25

Touraine region: Chinon, Bourgueil (Saint-Nicolas-de Bourgeuil)
Saumur region: Saumur-Champigny

Question 26

Describe Cabernet Franc from the Touraine region with respect to how location affects style

Answer 26

Sandy soils produce light, fruity wines for early drinking
South-facing slopes with limestone and clay soils: fuller-bodied, more tannic wine

Can mature in oak, and best examples have ageing potential

Question 27

Describe the style of Cabernet Franc from Saumur-Champigny

Answer 27

Lighter in body and tannin than from Touraine
Juicy berry fruit and sometimes floral notes
Best drunk young
Often best served chilled
Some producers produce fuller-bodied styles capable of further ageing

Question 28

What other black varieties and styles are grown in the Loire Valley? Where are they mostly grown?

Answer 28

Gamay (Touraine, Anjou): fruity, early drinking
Pinot Noir (Central Vineyards): light style and rare

Question 29

Where is Loire Valley Rose mostly produced?

Answer 29

Anjou-Saumur
Touraine
Sancerre

Question 30

Where is Rose de Loire produced?

Answer 30

Mainly Anjou-Saumur

Touraine

Question 31

Describe the Rose de Loire style

Answer 31

Always dry

Minimum of 30% Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the blend

Question 32

Describe the Cabernet d’Anjou style

Answer 32

Highest quality of the two rose’s made in Anjou-Saumur
medium-sweet
blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon

Question 33

List all the best known Rose’s of the Loire Valley

Answer 33

Rosé de Loire
Cabernet d’Anjou
Rosé d’Anjou

Question 34

Describe a general Touraine Rose

Answer 34

Dry, fresh, fruity

Question 35

Describe a Sancerre Rose

Answer 35

Pinot Noir, pale, light body, dry with delicate fruit flavours

Question 36

Describe typical winemaking practices for Loire Valley roses

Answer 36

Direct pressing or short maceration on skins

Fermented in inert, temperature-controlled vessels to retain fruit flavours

Question 37

List the major sparkling wine appellations

Answer 37

Crémant de Loire
Saumur
Vouvray

Question 38

Which varieties can be used to make sparkling Saumur, and what method is typically used?

Answer 38

Range of local varieties as well as Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc

Can also make sparkling red Saumur using Cabernet Franc

Uses traditional method with min. 9 months on lees.

Question 39

Which varieties can be used to make sparkling Vouvray, and what method is typically used? Describe a typical style.

Answer 39

Majority made from Chenin Blanc. Naturally high acidity and does not take on as many autolytic characters as Chardonnay and Pinot noir. Where present, autolytic character is more smoky and toasty than biscuity and bready.

Made via traditional method with 9 months min. on lees.

Question 40

What are the winemaking requirements for Crémant de Loire?

Answer 40

Traditional method, min. 9 months on lees.