Loire Valley Flashcards
`1What is Loire region known as?
Le Jardin de la France
What is the well known facts about Loire?
4th most popular toursit destination, France’s largest white wine region, second largest sparkling wine product, france’s 3rd largest overall producer of aoc wines.
What cheese is famous in Loire?
goat cheese, 70% of France production
During middle age, Loire became the dividing point between ___ and ___.
Latin influenced south
Celtic-Germanic influenced north
Which town was Joan of Arc from
Chinon
The impact the Dutch had upon the region?
Industrious Dutch traders, influenced the locals to plant an increasing percentage of the vineyards with white cultivars (Mascadet and Folle Blance) so that the Dutch could produce their newly created beverage: brandewijn (burnt wine), a product that was distilled from these grapes and sold to the northern European markets.
For the next two centuries, this area was the source of the widly popular french “brandy wine”
What are the initial AOCs in Loire from 1935?
Quincy, Anjou, Muscadet, Sancerre and Vouvray
The path of Loire River
Stretch more than 620 miles
from headwater in Central France to its delta on the Atlantic Coast
Empty into the bay of Biscay
North of Cognac, south of Normandy, east of the Atlantic Ocean, West of Bourgogne and the Massif Central mountain range.
Glow north from its source, turns west at Orleans. While flowing north, its vineyards flank its east/west facing slopes. After turning westwards, vineyard flankt is north/sourth banks.
can always find south facing slopes and they are most desired due to the optimized sun exposure.
How the river impacts the temperature?
helps to warm the vineyard that flank it, the temperature near the river are 2-4 degrees warmer, the tributaries assist in creating mesoclimates suitable to ripening grapes.
The Gulf stream funneling soft breezes from the Atlantic coast
What are the main sub regions and climates?
Pays Nantais/Lower Loire - maritime
Anjou, Saumur and Touraine/Middle Loire - maritime climate with continental influence
Centre and Upper Loire - continental
__ percent of the wine in Loire has AC status
75
IGP represents __ percent of the Loire’s total production
14
What is one of the largest IGPs in Loire?
IGP Val de Loire (formerly known as Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France)
Vins Sans IG present __ percent of the total wine production
11
What is the biggest thread to Pays Nantais in the winter?
frosts and ice storms
True or False: chaptalization is permitted in Loire.
True
Because Loire has inadequate sunshine sometimes.
Only does this when necessary.
The soil of Pays Nantais
flat coastline, hotbed of volcanic soil, Gneiss (porous rocks) can provide critical drainage for the vine/root.
sub soil - mostly crystalline igneous rocks. taken from the Latin “ignis”: meaning fire
volcanic rocks are known for very high mineral
Main white grapes for Pays Nantais
chardonnay
Chenin Blanc
Folle Blance
Muscade
Pinot Gris
Sauvignon Blanc
What is other name for Chenin Blanc?
Pineau de la Loire
Gros Pineau
The other name for Folle Blance
Gros Plant
What is the other name for Muscadet
Melon de Bourgogne
What is the other name for Pinot Gris
Malvoisie
What are the main red grapes for Pays Nantais?
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Negrette, Pinot Noir
The main AOCs to remember in Pays Nantais subregion?
Muscadet AOC
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC
Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu AOC
Muscadet Sevre Et Maine AOC
Muscadet AOC
cover the entire Pays Nantais, but only responsible for 20% of all Muscadet
Muscadet Coteau De La Loire AOC
- smallest regional Muscadet AOC
North of Nantes on both sides of Loire River
posses pronounced minerality
Muscadet Cotes De Granlieu AOC
Southwest of Nantes
along Lake Grand Lieu
wines are fresh and fruity
Muscadet Sevre Et Maine AOC
75% of all of the AOC Muscadet bottled
named after two ricers: La Sevre Nantaise and La Petite Main
Mostly consumed sur place (locally) but Paris is the largest client
Most production is carried out by large negociants and co-operaties
easy drink in expensive wines
Sur Lie
All Muscadet appellations can be aged sur lie.
The dead yeast impart mannoproteins, molecules consisting of a sugar protain bond, that give the wines creaminess and a rounded mouthfeel. Can be cloudy but are usually racked and filtered before bottling.
Wines labeled “sur lie” must be bottled between the ___ and ___ the year after harvesst
4/1
11/30
The subcategories of Muscadet Sevre Et Main AOC
Muscadet Sevre et Maine Clisson - granite gravel and galets, dried fruit character. most concentrated flavor profile. has minimum of 24 months ageing sur lie
Muscadet Sevre et Maine Gorges - clay rick in quartz, green volcanic rock called gabbros. wine with minerality and a touch of smoke. late-maturing wines. minimum of 24 months in sur lie but often 40 months
Muscadet Sevre et Maine Le Pallet - on gneiss and gabbros, pronounced floral clement. 17 months aging sur lie
How are the crus different from the other Muscade Sevre Et Maine AOC?
lower yield
grapes with higher degree of ripeness
longer minimum sur lie aging requirement
may NOT put the term “sur lie” on the label
What are the dominate grapes for Anjou and Saumur?
Chenin Blanc
Cab Franc
The main sub-regions for Anjou and Saumur?
Anjou (area around Angers)
Layon (Layon river), it is within the Anjou zone but singled out for sweet wine production
Saumur (around city Saumur)
The climate of Anjou/Saumur?
Maritime Climate with Continental Influences
slightly colder in winter/warmer in summer compared to Pays Nantais
but more temperate compared to Sancerre or Upper Loire
dual climate
bright acidity in both red and white
Tuffeau
chalk. Turonian chalk.
formed during 89-93 millon years ago
first classified by French paleontologist Alcide d’Orbigny who named it after the city of Tours
The soil types in Anjou
dark schist and white chalk
the tuffeau is interspersed with pockets of clay, gravel and shale.
Most of the schist soils lie in the western portions of the appellation.
What is the soil for Sammur?
possesses tuffeau as well.
Calcium-rich soils, with significant acidity.
For this reason, Saumur has been a shining start in Cremant production.
Where is red planted in Anjou/Saumur?
warm soil
lower acid, more fruit-driven reds with soft tannins
What is the more popular soil type for sweet wine in Anjou/Saumur?
schist
What are the white grape varities in Anjou/Saumur?
Arbois
Chardonnay
Chenin Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc
What are the red grape varieties in Anjou/Saumur? Cab France
Cab
Gamay
Grolleau Gris
Pineau d’Aunis
Pinot Noir
What are the other names for Arbois?
Orbois
Menu Pineau
What grape is mainly used for sparkling in Anjou/Saumur?
Chardonnay
What grape is predominantly used for still whites?
Sauvignon blanc
What is the most widely planted red grape for middle Loire?
Cab Franc
What is another name for Grolleau?
Groslot
What is the principal grape used for rose production?
Grolleau
Sub categories for sparkling wines in the Middle Loire?
Petillants
Mousseux
Cremant
Petillants
half the pressure as Mousseux and Cremant.
methode traditionelle
Petillants meaning __.
Fizzy
Mousseux
Methode Traditionelle
minimum of 3 atm pressure
less demanding production standards
a minimum 9 months sur lie
Mousseux means __.
frothy or bubbly
Cremant in Anjou/Saumur
Method Traditionnelle
12 months ageing on lees
one month in the bottle before release
The only sparkling wine in Loire with regulation concerning pressing (weight of the grapes/volume of juice extracted
sweet wines are made exclusively from Chenin
What is the sparking wine that has regulation of pressing
Cremant in middle Loire
What grape used for sweet wine in Crement Middle Loire?
Chenin
What AOC does river Layon run through
Coteaux du Layon
cher river for which aoc in loire
AOC Touraine-Noble-Joué
Which side of the Loire river does most Anjou vineyards exist?
left bank
with exception of Savennieres and the two AOCs within
Which AOC is on the right bank of Loire in Anjou
Savennieres and the two AOCs within
What grapes are used for rose wine in Anjou?
Cab Franc and Cab Sauvignon as the main.
Anjou Blanc AOC
dry or off dry whites
80% of Chenin
Anjou Rough AOC
70% of Cab Frane and Cab Sauvignon
Grolleau and Pineau d’Aunis can seve as blending partner
Anjou Villages, Anjou Villages Brissac AOC?
crafted from Cab France and Cab Sauvignon
Anjou Gamay AOC
Gamay
light, fruity reds
consume within 1-3 years
can be vinified as premeur (3rd Thursday of Nov)
Anjou Coteaux De La Loire AOC
sweet wine
Chenin
botrytis
Anjou Mousseux AOC
white and rose sparking
Chenin up to 60%
Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon, Malbec etc are vinifed as blanc de noir
Bonnezeaux AOC
sweet wine
chenin
long hang time and botrytis
Cabernet D’Anjou AOC
rose
made from both cabernets
off dry to sweet
min 1% RS
Cremant De La Loire AOC
white and rose sparkling
blend from Chenin, Chardonnay, Cab Franc and others
By law, Cab Sauvignon and Pineau d’Aunis must be less than 30%
List of Middle Loire Sweet Wines made from Chenin?
Anjou-Coteaux de la Loire
Bonnezeaux
Coteaux de Layon Chaume 1er Cru
Coteaux de Layon
Coteaux de Layon + village
Coteaux de L’Aubance
Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru
What is the highest minimum RS for any non fortified dessert wine in France
Quarts de Chaume
8.5% RS
Which AOC can label “Grand Cru” on the label?
Quarts de Chaume
Rose D’Anjou AOC
off dry rose with a minimum 0.7% RS
Grolleau as the main grape
Rose de Loire AOC
rose sourced from anywhere in the middle Loire
always dry
authorized grapes: both cabs, gamay, Grolleau etc.
What are the main AOCs for rose in Anjou/Saumur?
Cabernet d’Anjou (sweet)
Rose d’Anjou (off dry)
Rose de Loire: always dry
Which rose AOC in Anjou allows Malbec
Rose d’Anjou
Which rose AOC in Anjou/Saumur allows Pinot Noir?
Rose de Loire
Savennieres AOC
right bank
believe to be the most age-worthy whites
many dont not enter prime til two decades
exclusively chenin blanc
soils of slate schist and clay
loaded with extract, acidity and minerality
turning from pale straw to burnishet gold
mostly dry, others allowed
hand harvested, at least two passes
min 11%
What are the two climats/AOC within Savennieres AOC?
Coulee de Serrant
La Roche aux Moines
prohibit chaptalization
low yields
high min must weight
longer ageing period than regular Savennieres
Difference between sec, demi-sec, moelleux and doux
Sec - 0.3 RS
Demi-Sec - 0.3-1.8
Moelleux - 1.8-4.5
Doux > 4.5 %
Savennieres Coulee De Serrant AOC
belongs to Nicolas Joly
red schist
farmed biodynamically
Savennieres Roche AUX Moines AOC
within Savennieres AOC
steep schist slope
What is Saumur AOC known for?
Sparkling wine
fines bulles means
fine bubbles, genral term for sparkling Lorie wines
Cabernet de Saumur AOC
rose crafted in a dryer, lighter style than the Cabernet d’Anjou.
crafted from both cabs
Coteaux de Saumur AOC
white crafted from Chenin
late harvest, hand picked, botrytized
off dry to sweet
Saumur Blanc AOC
still white
Chennin Blanc
2016 was the last that permitted the addition of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
Saumur Rouge, Saumur Champigny and Saumur Puy-Norte-Dame AOCs
red
cab franc
Rouge and Champgny allows for the addition of Cab Sauvignon and Pineau d’Aunis
Puy-Notre-Dame allows Cab
Meaning of Champigny
field of fire
warm mesoclimate
Saumur Mousseux AOX
referred as Saumur Burt
made from Chennin with up to 40% Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and others
must age 9 months sur lie
Saumur Mousseua Rose AOC
the same red grapes as Saumur Mousseux blanc but Cab France ust comprise at least 60% of the blend.
must age 9 months sur lie.
The soils of Middle Loire
Tuffeau can be found on the hillside
perruche (flint and clay) and aubuis (limestone and clay) and found near river
both perruche and aubuis have pockets of gravels (gravieres) and sands
Perruche
flint and clay
Aubuis
limestone and clay
Gravels
Gravieres
What is the character of wines produced in Vouvray, Montlouis and Amboise?
vibrant acidity
tuffeau soil
What is the soil for Chinon and Azay-le-Rideau?
chalky-sandy gravel soils - white, heighten acidity
sand and gravel - red, fruit and aroma
The soil of Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil?
patches of sandy-gravels with chalk pebbles interpersed with slopes of pure tuffeau
racy wines from tuffeau
richly perfumed wines of gravieres
What are the white grapes of Touraine?
in addition to Anjou/Saumur grapes, also has
Romorantin
What is another name of Chardonnay in Touraine?
Auvernat Blanc
Where is Romorantin grown in Touraine?
Cour-Cheverny
What are the additional red grapes in Touraine?
Pinot Gris
Pinot Meunier
Malbec
Merlot
Sauvignon Gris
What is another name for Cab Grance in Touraine?
Breton
What is another name for Pinot Noir in Touraine?
Auvernat Noir
What is another name for Pinot Meunier in Touraine?
Gris Meunier
Bourgueil AOC
North of Chinon
Cab Fran
medium body and fairly tannic
Cheverny AOC
wine law mandates the percentage of each grape variety planted, not the the grape going into the bottle
Which AOC has regulation on the grape vari
What is the main grape for Cheverny whites
Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris
What is the main grape in Cheverny red?
Pinot Noir
Rose follows the similar formula
Chinon AOC
- soils of tuffeau and on composites of sand, gravel and clay
- Red grown on south-facing tuffeau, medium body wine, similar to Bourgueil
- Red grown on sand/gravel/clay more fresh and fruity, similar to St Nicolas de Bourgueil
- Largest AOC in Loire
- White, 100% chenin
Coteaux Du Loir AOC
- right bank of the Loir tributary
- floral whites from Chenin
- red/roses from Pineau d’Aunis
Coteaux Du Vendomois
- wine law mandates the percentage of each grape variety planted
- white from Chenin and Chardonnay
Red from Pinear d’Aunis
Cour-Cheverny AOC
a dry white AOC lying within Cheverny AOC
100% Romorantin
Haut-Poitou AOC
- North of Poitiers and south of Toouraine/Anjou
- White sauvignon blanc
Red mostly Cab Franc
What is the smallest Loir Valley AOC
Jasnieres AOC
What wine does Jasnieres AOC produce?
100% chenin
Montlouis-Sur-Loire AOC
- white application
- within Touraine AOC
bordered by the Cher and the Loire
Chenin Blanc
driest to sweetest
both late harvest and botrytis
Montlouis-Sur-Loire Mousseux and Petillant AOC
Chenin Blanc
Petillant and Mousseux must age 9 months on its lees
Orleans AOC
By law, whites are made from >= 60% chardonnay
(in practice, most are 100% chardonnay)
What is another name for Chardonnay in Orleans AOC?
Auvernat Blanc
Red wine from Touraine, what is the typical color?
garnet
What is the typical red wine grape from Touraine?
Cab France
served slightly chill (capture acidity)
Saint-Nicolas-De-Bourgueil AOC
- Lies to the west of Bourgueil on warmer soils containing high percentage of sand.
- Mostly Cab Franc (mostly 100%)
- more generous fruit than Chinon and Bourgueil
- early consuming
Touraine
- wine law mandates the percentages of each grape planted.
- white: blend of SB(80%) and SG(20%)
- Rose. No one grape can comprise more than 70%
- Red predominantly Cab F and Cot blends
- can add village to the label
- A vin gris, labeled as Touraine Noble Joue, is fashioned out of Pinot Meunier
- Touraine Mesland red and rose are mainly Gamay with the balance in Cot and CF
Touraine Mousseux and Petillant AOC
- white or rose
- traditional blend is Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay or Orbois/Chardonnay
Vouvray AOC
- right bank
- within regional Touraine AOC
- Chenin blanc, dry of sweet
- Sec, Demi-Sec, Moelleux and Doux
Vouvray Mousseux and Vouvray Petillant AOCs
Chenin Blanc
12 months aging sur lie
Which region produces the most obscure bottlings?
Uppe Loire
Which region produces Lorie’s most well known wines?
Center Loire
What are the most famous AOCs in center Loire?
Sancerre
Pouilly-Fume
What are the most dominant red/white grapes for Center/Upper Loire?
Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot Noir
What the main red/white grapes for Upper Loire?
Chardonnay and Sacy for whites
Gamay and Pinot Noir
Climate of Center/Upper Loire
continental
largest diurnal and seasonal temperature swings
winter prone to frost and ice
spring short and variable
sauvignon bland is hardy and resistant to fungal diseases
The soil of center Loire
Terres Blanchers: marl rich in oyster fossils
Caillottes: little limestone pebbles
Silex: flint
Terres Blanches and Silex produce wine of vibrant acidity
Silex adds a unique gunflint /smoke finish
Cailottes with a little less structure (less acidity)
all soil types rest atop a base of Kimmeridgean limestones
The soil of Upper Loire
limestone rich soil - western appellations
granite - eastern appellations
What are the primary white grapes of Upper Loire?
Chardonnay
Chasselas
Sacy
Sauvignon Blanc (the principal grape)
What is another name for Sacy?
Tressallier
What is anther name for Sauvignon Blanc?
Blance Fume (smoky white)
What are the primary red grape of Upper Loire?
Pinot Noir
Gamay
Gamay Saint Romain
Pinot Gris
Sauvignon Gris
Menetou-Salon AOC
Centre Loire
style simialr to Sancerre (SB and PN)
The Kimmeridgean soil impacts by imparting a nervy, racy and vibrant acidity and kinetic core of minerality
Pouilly-Fume AOC
Centre Loire
Only white
unique gunflint/smokey finish (grown on flint)
Pouilly-Sur-Loire AOC
white wines from Chasselas
same zone as Pouilly Fume
Center Loire
Quincy AOC
Centre Loire
SB,
located on plateaus near Cher river
Reuilly AOC
white wine from SB
reds/roses from PN
Sancerre AOC
Center Loire
red, white and rose
SB high minerality and lemon grass
has all three soil types
Red/Rose elegant, soft tannin
What grape is used for the dessert wines of Loire
Chenin
Two ways to make dessert wines in Loire
- infected with botrytis cinerea
- passerillage, grapes are allowed to wither on the vine due to the overextended hang time, sun exposure