Loire Valley

Question 1

What are the percentages of the Loire planed by region?

Answer 1

• Central Vineyards - 10%
• Touraine - 31%
• Anjou-Saumur - 37%
• Pays Nantair - 22%

Question 2

Which region is closest to the Atlantic Ocean?

Answer 2

Pays Nantais

Question 3

What is the principal grape variety of Pays Nantais?

Answer 3

Melon (Melon de Bourgogne/Muscadet) > 60% of plantings

Significant volumes of Folle Blanche is grown (Gros Plant)

Question 4

Where is Melon grown principally?

Answer 4

Pays Nantais

Question 5

What is Folle Blanche?

Answer 5

Grape varietal grown in Pays Nantais producing very acidic domestic wines.

Question 6

What is the climate of Pays Nantais

Answer 6

Cool maritime.

Cool springs, warm humid summers, thread of rain throughout growing season.

Question 7

What is the only allowed variety in the Muscadet appelations?

Answer 7

Melon

Question 8

When does Melon bud and what can be a problem?

Answer 8

Early. Therefore spring frosts can be an issue.

Question 9

Why can Melon achieve high yields?

Answer 9

Ripens early, hence reduces threat of rain at harvest.

Good resistance to powdery mildew

Question 10

Why is Melon susceptible to downy mildew and bortrytis?

Question 11

What is the profile of wines made from Melon?

(Acid, body, alcohol, intensity/aroma)

Answer 11

High acid

Light body

Low/Low end medium alcohol

Low intensity green apple

Often made sur lie.

Question 12

What change was made to the Muscadet AOC appelation in 2018?

Answer 12

From 2018, basic Muscadet AOC may include up to 10 per cent of Chardonnay.

Question 13

What are the vineyard management considerations in Pays Nantais?

Answer 13

Humid climate means monitoring and spraying as necessary

Marginal climate for ripeness means canopy management (open canopies/leaf removal)

Question 14

Is chaptalization permitted in Pays Nantais?

Answer 14

Yes, up to 12% potential alcohol

Question 15

How is Muscadet typically fermented/aged? Why?

Answer 15

In large, shallow underground glass lined concrete vats. Stainless steel also used.

Keeps wine as neutral as possible for lees aging.

Question 16

Is MLF practiced in Muscadet wines?

Answer 16

Typically no, to preserve high acidity.

Question 17

What is “Sur Lie”

Answer 17

Highly typical technique in the Pays Nantais

Fills out the body of what would otherwise be very light- bodied wines.

After the alcoholic fermentation, one racking is allowed to remove the gross lees.

Wine remains in contact with the fine lees through the following winter and until bottling.

Also retains the freshness of the wine and may retain a small amount of carbon dioxide, which is part of the style of these wines.

Question 18

What are the appelations of Pays Nantais?

Answer 18

• Generic Muscadet AOC
• Muscadet de Sevre et Maine AOC (6,400ha, largest in Loire)

Two much smaller:

• Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC
• Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu AOC

Question 19

What are the maximum permitted yields in the Muscadet appelations?

Answer 19

Generic Muscadet AOC is 70hL/ha (for 2020, 65 prev)

The sub appelations and Muscadet sur lie are 55hL/ha

Question 20

How is “sur lie” used on labels?

Answer 20

Can be added to any of the 4 appellations

Wines must be bottled between 1 Mar - 30 Nov in year following harvest in the winery they were made.

Question 21

What is the implication for negociants of the sur lie rules?

Answer 21

Since the wine must be bottled in the winery they were made, negociants can only buy grapes, must or bottled wine and not wine to be aged sur lie.

Question 22

What are Muscadet cru communaux?

Answer 22

‘Village cru’ wines grown from grapes grown in on of the defined areas.

eg. Clisson, Gorges, Le Pallet

Name can be agged to end of the AOC

Question 23

What are the aging requirements for Muscadet cru communaux?

What are the implications?

Answer 23

Extended lees aging (18-24 months depending on the village)

They cannot be labeled sur lie as the requirement for aging means bottling after the date required for sur lie.

Typically rounder wines with more complex/longer finishes

Question 24

What role to negociants play in Pays Nantais?

Answer 24

Around half of sales

Many smaller ones have been bought up by larger companiies

Question 25

What is InterLoire?

Answer 25

Industry body made up of 3,000 winegrowers, négociants and cooperatives from Pays Nantais, Anjou, Saumur and Touraine.

Question 26

What are the principal grape varieties in the middle loire?

Answer 26

Chenin Blanc (dry, off-dry, sweet white wines)

Cabernet Franc (red wines and contributor to Rose)

Sauvignon Blanc (a top variety in Touraine, not Anjou-Saumur)

Question 27

Describe the climate of the Middle Loire

Answer 27

The moderating influence decreases progressively as you go East.

In Anjou-Saumur the maritime effect is more marked while Touraine has a continental climate.

~700mm of rainfall, throughout the year.

Question 28

What creates the misty conditions for the spread of botrytis in Anjou?

Answer 28

The river Layon and its tributaries.

Question 29

What are the soils of the Middle Loire?

Answer 29

Wide range - clay-limestone, flint-clay, sand, gravel, tuff.

More schist and limestone in Anjou

More chalk in Touraine.

Question 30

What are rootstock considerations in the Middle Loire?

Answer 30

Due to high lime in the soil, Fercal and Riparia Gloire de Montpellier are used to prevent chlorosis.

Question 31

Describe Chenin in the Loire.

Answer 31

Dominant variety in the middle Loire

Produces a wide range of styles; sparkling wine/dry/off-dry/sweet wines.

Dry and off-dry wines have medium intensity aromas of green apple and lemon (sometimes with a steely, smoky character), medium alcohol, and noticeably high acidity, often balanced with some residual sugar for an off-dry style.

Typically good to very good in quality and inexpensive to mid-price, with some outstanding quality and premium priced.