Loire Flashcards
Describe Pays Nantais?
Cool maritime
Well-draining soils
Spring frosts
Open canopies needed/leaf removal
Primary grape - Melon
Folle Blanche (Gros Plant)
Describe Melon:
Early budding
Early ripening
Hardy grape
Susceptible to downy mildew and botrytis
Describe Muscadet winemaking:
Muscadet AOC may have up to 10% Chardonnay
Chaptalization permitted up to 12% potential ABV
Large, shallow underground glass-lined concrete vats for aging/fermentation
MLF avoided
Sur Lie aging
Describe a typical Muscadet:
Dry
Low intensity
Green apple, grassy
High acid
Light body
Appellations for Muscadet?
Large:
Muscadet Sevre et Maine AOC (largest in Loire)
Muscadet AOC
Small:
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC
Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu AOC
10 Cru Communaux: area listed after AOC; lower yields and longer lees aging
Wine business in Pays Nantais?
Production dropped 2/3 in 1991 due to frost
15% export
Negociants are majority
Climate/soil in Anjou-Saumur + Touraine?
Anjou - less maritime
Touraine - continental
Moderate rainfall
Misty = botrytis
Good drainage/water retention
High lime content in soil = resistant routestock
Describe Chenin Blanc:
Early budding
Ripens late/unevenly
Vigorous
Prone to powdery mildew, botrytis, trunk disease
Describe style of Chenin blanc:
Dry to sweet
Medium intensity
Green apple/lemon/steel/smoke
Medium alcohol
High acidity
MLF avoided
Describe Cab Franc in Loire:
Med/High intensity
Red currant/raspberry/violet/leafy
Light/Med body
Med tannin
High acid
Early budding
Mid ripening - winter hardy
Red grapes in Anjou-Saumur + Touraine?
Cab Franc
Grolleau Noir
Gamay Noir
Cab Sauv
Regulations for Anjou AOC:
Moderate max yields (60)
Anjou Blanc - min. 80% Chenin Blanc
Anjou Rouge - min. 70% Cab Franc and/or Cab Sauv
Anjou Villages AOC - still red wine only, Cab Franc and Cab Sauv
Describe Coteaux du Layon:
Anjou region for botrytis-affected Chenin Blanc
Cooked citrus/apple/honey
Pronounced intensity
Sweet
Med+ body
Med alc
High acid
Anjou appellations for sweet wine, in descending max yield and ascending min. potential alcohol order?
Coteaux du Layon AOC
Coteaux du Layon AOC + village
Bonnezeaux AOC
Coteaux du Layon AOC Premier Cru Chaume
Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru AOC
Describe Savennieres?
Prestigious Anjou appellation
South-facing slopes
Low fertility, rocky soils
Low yields
Austere in youth
2 sub-AOC’s:
Savennieres La Roche aux Moines AOC
Coulee de Serrant AOC (owned exclusively by Nicolas Joly - biodynamic)
Describe Anjou-Saumur rose’s:
Rose de Loire AOC: Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Gamay, Grolleau Noir
Rose d’Anjou AOC: primarily Grolleau; medium dry; most popular of the styles
Cabernet d’Anjou AOC: Cab Franc + Cab Sauv only; deeper color, medium dry
Key Saumur appellations?
Saumur AOC (variety)
Coteaux de Saumur AOC (botrytis Chenin Blanc)
Saumur-Champigny AOC (min 85% Cab Franc)
Key Touraine appellations:
Touraine AOC
Vouvray AOC
Montlouis-sur-Loire AOC
Bourgueil AOC
Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AOC
Chinon AOC
Describe Touraine AOC:
Sauv Blanc is primary white
Cab Franc and Cot are primary reds
Six sub-zones that can be added after Touraine AOC - stricter yields
Describe Vouvray:
Min. 95% Chenin Blanc
Max 52hL/ha
Flint/clay/limestone - good drainage
Dry to demi-sec
Describe Montlouis-sur-Loire:
100% Chenin Blanc
Max 52hL/ha
Cheaper, lesser known than Vouvray
High proportion of organic/biodynamic
Compare the 3 red appellations of Touraine:
Cab Franc, but 10% Cab Sauv allowed
Max 55hL/ha
Sand, gravel, clay-limestone
Saint-Nicolas - lightest style
Chinon - most regarded; also makes Chenin Blanc
Wine business in Anjou-Saumur and Touraine:
20% export
Anjou-Saumur produces 2x Touraine
Anjou: more rose and sparkling
Touraine: more white and red
Describe Central Vineyards of Loire:
Continental climate
Sauv Blanc (70%) and Pinot Noir (20%)
8 AOCs
Spring frosts, summer hailstorms
Long day lengths + low light intensity
High rainfall
Describe Sauv Blanc:
Late budding
Early ripening
Vigorous
Needs canopy management to avoid shading
Prone to powdery mildew, botrytis, Esca, Eutypa Dieback
AOCs of Central Vineyards?
Sancerre AOC
Pouilly-Fume AOC
Reuilly AOC
Quincy AOC
Menetou-Salon AOC
Describe Sancerre:
Largest Central vineyards AOC
Most commercially successful
Higher max yields (65/63/59)
3 soil types:
Caillottes (shallow over limestone - aromatic)
Terre Blanches (most structured)
Silex (flinty)
Describe Pouilly Fume:
Sauv Blanc only
More prone to frost
Rounder, less aromatic style than Sancerre
Wine business in Central Vineyards:
BIVC - Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins du Centre (promotional body)
Negociants most important
20% export - US, UK, Germany
Natural winemaking popular
Nicolas Joly founded Renaissances des appellations, group of biodynamic producers with many in Loire
