Loire Flashcards
White wine varieties of the Loire
Sauvignon blanc
Chenin blanc
Melon du Bourgogne
(Chardonnay, Arbois, Romorantin, Gros Plant, Chasselas)
Red varieties of the Loire
Cabernet Franc
Gamay
Pinot Noir
(Cab Sauvignon, Malbec (Côt), Pineau d’Aunis, Groslot (Grolleau)
Subregions of Loire
Pay Nantais , Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, Central Vineyard
Climate of Pay Nantais
Cool maritime climate
Wet
4 appellations in Pay Nantais
Muscadet AOP
Muscadet coteaux de la Loire
Muscadet cotes de la Grandlieu
Muscadet sevre et Maine
Muscadet Aop
Neutral
Dry
High acidity
Designed for youthful consumption
Rarely used as producers qualify for other appellations
Muscadet sevre et Maine
80% of overall Muscadet production
Sourced from one of the 23 communes near the confluence of the Sevre and the Maine river
Half of the production is bottled “Sur Lie”: wines aged on the lees over winter, bottled without filtering between the 1st of March and the 30th of November (adds complexity, richness, slight sparkle)
3 su zones of Muscadet Sevre et Maine
Clisson
Le Pallet
Gorges
Hermine d’Or : unofficial label that promotes ageability and terroir
Location of Anjou-Saumur
Between Pay Nantes and Touraine
(Saundra is a eastern subregion of Anjou)
Largest and most diverse region in Loire Valley
Anjou-Saumur
Loire centre for sparkling wine
Saumur
Varieties and production in Anjou:
45% devoted to rose ( blends dominated by Grolleau)
1/3 plantings are Cabernet Franc
Sweet and dry Chenin Blanc
Most important appellation for Chenin Blanc in Anjou
Savennieres AOP
Savennieres AOP
Steep southern exposure
Blue schist + volcanic debris soils
Great complexity and honeyed richness with age / austere and rigid in their youth
2 unofficial gran crus of Savennieres AOP
Roche aux moines
Coulee de Serrant (Nicolas Joly’s monopole)
Sweet wine appellations in Anjou
Coteaux di Layon AOP
Coteau du L’aubance AOP
Sweet style Anjou
Either healthy late harvest or selection of grapes with Noble Rot
Harvested in Tries
Min residual sugar of 34g/L (not as rich as Sauternes)
Coteaux du Layon sub-appellations :
Bonnezeaux
Quarts de Cheume (sandstone and schist hillsides on the banks of the river Layon = perfect incubator for botrytis = 80g/L)