Loire Flashcards
Distance from Atlantic to Sancerre?
400km along the Loire river
Spring in the Nantais comes how much earlier than in Sancerre?
2 weeks
Synonyms for Melon
Melon de Bourgogne
Muscadet
Other than Melon, what else is grown in Pays Nantais?
Chardonnay
Gamay
Folle Blanche
Cabernet Franc
Pays Nantais climate
Cool maritime
Features of Pay Nantais climate (cool maritime)
Cool spring
Warm and humid summer
Rain at any time during season (especially March/April, flowering and September, harvest)
What offsets the regular rainfall in Pays Nantais?
Well drained soils
Spring frost in Pays Nantais
A problem, despite proximity to Atlantic
Serious issue in 1991 - lost UK market
Frost prevention in Pays Nantais?
Wind machines
Heaters
Burning straw bales
Why is Melon well suited to Pays Nantais?
Hardy so suited to cool region
BUT
Buds early so susceptible to frost
Melon buds early or late
Early
spring forst
Melon ripens early or late
Early - reducing rain at hravest
Melon susceptible to what?
Downy, BBR
Resistant to powdery
Melon wine style
High acid Light body Low to medium (-) alcohol Light intensity green apple Sur lie
Grape(s) for muscadet AOC
Vast majority Melon
Since 2018, basic Muscadet AOC can have 10% Chardonnay
Why is spraying needed a lot in Pays Nantais?
Humid rainy climate
Need to prevent fungal disease
How has canopy mgmt been improved in Pays Nantais? Why?
To facilitate ripening (marginal climate):
canopies more open
leaf removal = sun exposure and reduce fungal
careful to avoid sumburn
Chaptalisation in Pays Nantais?
Allowd up to 12% potential alcohol
Practiced in cooler years
Malo in Muscadet?
Typiaclly avoided, preserving high acid
What does Sur Lie do in Muscadet?
Fills out the body, otherwise very light-bodied wine
How is Sur Lie done in Muscadet?
After alcohol ferment, one racking to remove gross less
Then wine in contact with fine lees through winter until bottling
Retains freshness
Retains a small amount of CO2 sometimes
Two largest Msucadet AOCs
Muscadet Sevre et Maine AOC
Muscadet AOC
Two smaller Muscadet AOCs
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC
Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu AOC
Four Muscadet AOCs
Muscadet Sevre et Maine AOC
Muscadet AOC
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC
Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu AOC
Max yield for Muscadet AOC
65hl/ha
Yield for Muscadet sur Lie and Musc Sev-et-Maine, Musc Cot-d-l-L, Musc C-d-Grandlieu
55hl/ha
Muscadet style
Dry
Low intensity green apple, grass
High acid
Light body
Sur Lie Muscadet must be bottled between which dates
1 March - 30 November the year after harvest
What can negociants buy in Pays Nantais?
Grapes must or bottled wine
They can’t buy wine to be aged sure lie because those need to be bottled in the winery they were made in
How many cru communaux in Muscadet?
10
Examples of some of the 10 cru communaux in Muscadet?
Clisson
Gorges
Le Pallet
Muscadet Cru Communaux (eg Musacdet Sevre et Maine AOC Clisson) maximum yield?
45 hl/ha
Why can’t Muscadet Cru Communaux be labelled as Sur Lie
they actually need to be lees aged longer than Sur Lie requirements
Muscadet Cru Communaux style
Rounder, more complex, longer finish than standard
Frost of 1991 did what to Muscadet?
Saw production drop by 2/3s
Booming UK market had led to huge planting (13,000ha)
Low production pushed prices up. New world Ozzie etc becoming more popular and stole market
Pays Nantais exports are what % by volume
15% export
Negociants account for what % of sales in Pays Nantais?
Over 50%
But this is declining
Examples of big negociants in Pays Nantais
Castel
Grands Chais de France
Ackerman
Promotional body for Pays Nantais
InterlOire
Climate in Anjou-Saumur vs Touraine
A-S more maritime
Touraine more continental
Atlantic influence lessens progressively along Loire
Touraine climate
Continental with cold winters and warm summers
not as extreme as in Central Vineyards
Rainfall in Anjou-Saumur and Touraine
Around 700mm
Anjou: what creates conditions for botryis?
River Layon and its multiple tributaries create misty conditions
Soils in Anjou
More schist and limestone
Soils in Touraine
More chalk
Common properties for many CentreLoire soils
Good drainage, water rentetion
High lime content (so rootstocks like Fercal and Raparia Gloire de Montpelleier)
Chenin Blanc buds early or late
Buds early
spring frost
Is Chenin vigorous?
Yes
will carry high yields if allowed
Chenin susceptible to:
powdery, BBR and noble rot, trunk disease
Chenin ripens early or late
Late
Vulernable to autumn rain
also ripens unevenly (needs several passes, limiting machine work)
Dry and off-dry Chenin style in Middle Loire
Medium intensity green apple and lemon Sometimes steel, smoky Medium alcohol High acidity Some RS to balance
Example of outstanding Chenin producer in Middle Loire
Domaine Huet
Cabernet Franc buds early or late
Early
Spring frost
Cab Franc prone to coulure. so what?
reduction in yields
Why is Cab Franc good for cool areas?
It’s winter hardy
If Cab Franc not fully ripe what does it taste like
Overly herbaceous
Leafy
Grolleau Noir: buds; ripens; prone to what; used for what/
Buds early
Mid ripening
BBR
blending in rose: d’Anjou and de Loire
Is there a generic Loire AOC (equivalent of Bordeaux AOC or Burgundy AOC)?
No
But three regional appellations in middle Loire: Anjour AOC, Saumur AOC and Touraine AOC
Anjou AOC: max yield
60hl/ha (red and white)