Loire Flashcards
What are the major white grapes of the Loire Valley?
Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Melon
What are the minor white grapes of the Loire Valley?
Chardonnay, Orbois, Romoratin, Gros plant, Chasselas
What are the major red grapes of the Loire Valley?
Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Malbec
What are the minor red grapes of the Loire Valley?
Cabernet, Pineau d’Aunis, Grolleau
Which major Loire Valley grapes have special regional names?
Chenin = Pineau de Loire
Malbec = Côt
Where is the Loire Valley located?
Around 47 degrees North, between Chablis & Côte des nuits
in West-central France
What are the major bodies of water in each of the Loire’s major subregions?
Nantais: Atlantic Ocean, Lac de Grandlieu, Loire, Sevre-et-Maine
Anjou-Saumur: Loire, Layon, Thouet
Tourraine: Loire, Loir, Indre, Cher
Central Vineyards: Loire, Cher
What are the major cities in each of the Loire’s major subregions?
Nantais: Nantes, Ambois
Anjou-Saumur: Anger, Saumur
Tourraine: Tours
Central Vineyards: Pouilly-Sur-Loire
Why is the Loire Valley a Unesco world heritage site?
Because it’s dotted with Castles
What are the climates of each of the major Loire subregions?
Pays Nantais: Maritime
Anjou-Saumur: Maritime with continental influence
Tourraine: Continental with maritime influence
Central Vineyards: True continental
What are the soils of each major Loire Subregion?
Pay Nantais: silica, granite, clay, gneiss
Anjou-Saumur: Tuffeau, blue schist, schist, sandstone, iron-rich limestone
Tourraine: Tuffeau (limestone), Varennes (alluvial sand), clay
Central Vineyards: Kimmeridgian Clay (terre blanches), fossils (caillottes), flint (silex)
Briefly sketch out the Loire Valley’s wine history
First vines planted by Romans 2000 years ago
11th century - wines exported to England from Nantes
1154 - Henry II Plantagenet expanded anjou vineyards and declared that only Anjou wines could be served at court
1534 - Evidence of Cab Franc plantings recorded by Francois Rabelais
1709-Winter Freeze devastated the vineyards
1789-1799 - French Revolution decimates vineyards
1875 - Phylloxera arrives in Loire
1936 - Quincy becomes second AOC
What kinds of wine is the Loire most known for, since they produce tons of them?
What else do they make?
High-acid whites (1) & Bubbles (2nd only to Champagne)
Everything else, dry to sweet reds, rosés, dessert wine, fortified wines, etc.
What is the Loire’s relationship with oak?
Due to lack of funds, Loire never became an oak-region and instead focused on varietal purity.
Why is the Loire known for high acid whites?
Cool climate & limestone soils
How do red wines tend to express themselves in the Loire?
Medium bodied & perfumed.
How does Sauv Blanc tend to express itself in the Loire?
Grassy & mineral-driven, with more hints of thiols (peach, pineapple) due to rising temperatures.
How does Chenin express iteslf in the Loire?
Any style, always with high acid, notes of bruised apple, lanolin, & chamomile.
What rules govern Crémant de Loire?
Can be white or rosé,
Must spend at least 9mo on the lees & 12mo total
Can be any variety except Melon
What rules govern Rosé de Loire?
Must be dry
Can be from any red variety
Which grapes & wine styles are allowed in Sancerre vs Pouilly-Fumé?
Both produce white Sauv Blanc, but only Sancerre allows rosé & reds based on Pinot Noir.
Who is the star producer of Pouilly Fumé?
Denis Dagueneau
Where would you find Orléans & Orléans-Clery? What kinds of wines would you find there?
Orléans: Chardonnay & Meunier
Orléans-Clery: Cab franc reds
What rules govern the Chinon AOP?
Dry whites from Chenin
Dry reds & rosé from Cab Franc
What rules govern Bourgueil? Which neighboring appellation shares these rules?
Dry reds & rosés from Cab Franc
St Nicholas de Bourgueil
What rules govern Vouvray? Which neighboring appellation shares these rules?
Dry to sweet, still to sparkling Chenin Blanc whites
What rules govern Touraine?
Includes 5 villages
Whites based on Sauvignon Blanc unless village designated
Rosés based on any variety
Reds vary by village but are generally Côt or Gamay.
Which soils dominate the different regions of Anjou-Saumur?
Savenniéres: volcanic & blue schist
Coteaux de Layon: sandstone & schist
Saumur: tuffeau (limestone)
Saumur-Champigny: iron-rich tuffeau
What rules govern the Anjou AOP?
It’s the umbrella region & allows pretty much everything.
All styles of white, rosé, red, sparkling, dessert
What rules govern Anjou Villages? What neighboring region shares these rules?
Only dry reds from cab & cab franc. Brissac!
What rules govern Savennières? What are its subregions?
Dry to sweet whites from Chenin.
Coulée de Serrant
Roche au Moines
Who is famous in a subregion of Savennières for biodynamic wines? What subregion?
Nicholas Joly
What rules govern Quarts-de-Chaumes? What neighboring subregion shares those rules?
Rich, sweet, botrytized chenin. Bonnezeaux.
What rules govern Coteaux-de-Layon? What neighboring subregion shares those rules?
Medium sweet to sweet whites from Chenin. Can be botrytized.
What rules govern Saumur, & how do they differ from Saumur-Champigny?
Saumur is dry whites from Chenin, dry reds & rosés from Cab Franc, sparkling from any variety. Saumur-Champigny is dry reds & rosés from Cab Franc only.
What are the limits for a Muscadet to be labeled sur lie?
Must be bottled off the lies between March 1st & Nov 31st the year after harvest.
What are the 3 subregions of Muscadet?
Sevre-et-Maine
Cotes de Grandlieu
Coteaux de la Loire
What are the 2 subregions of Musadet Sevre-et-Maine?
Clisson
La Pallet
Gorges
What are the major soils of the Pays Nantais?
Silica, Clay, Granite, Gneiss
