Loire Valley Flashcards
Are still rosé wines allowed for Saumur AOP?
No
Can Anjou wines be bottled as Saumur AOP?
No - many Saumur wines may be bottled as Anjou AOP, but not vice versa
Can the subzones of Sèvre-et-Maine be labeled sur lie?
No, the min length of aging for each subzone precludes the use of sur lie
(Le Pallet - on lees til April 2 of 2nd year
Gorges and Clisson: on lees til November 1 of 2nd year)
How large is Quarts de Chaume?
54 ha ≈10,000 cases
Name 2 highly regarded producers of Savennières.
- Domaine des Baumard
- Chateau Pierre-Bise
Name a producer of Bonnezeaux.
Chateau des Fesles
Name the 4 regions of the Loire Valley?
(East to West)
- Pays Nantais
- Anjou-Saumur
- Touraine
- Central Vineyards
T or F - Touraine AOP can also be pétillant, mousseux, and primeur.
True
What 3 AOPs set the bar for classic Loire Cab Franc?
- Chinon
- Bourgueil
- St-Nicholas-de-Bourgueil
What 3 VDQS of Pays Nantais were upgraded to AOC status in 2011?
- Gros Plant du Pays Nantais
- Coteaux d’Ancenis
- Fiefs Vendéens
What 5 villages are allowed to append their name to Touraine AOP?
- Mesland
- Azay-le-Rideau
- Amboise
- Oisly
- Chenonceaux
What AOP is entitled to the “Grand Cru” moniker from 2010 forward?
Quarts de Chaume AOP
What AOP is located in the Allier department? What colors are produced?
- Pourçain
- Red, rosé and white
What AOP is located in the Cher department? What color/grapes are used?
- Chateaumeillant
- Red and rosé - Gamay
What AOP of the Central Vineyards is reserved 100% Cab Franc?
Orléans-Cléry AOP
What AOP of the Central Vineyards produce rosé from a pale vin gris from Pinot Gris?
Reuilly
What appellation of Muscadet was created in 1994?
Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOP
What are the 3 broad soil distinctions of Chinon?
- tuffeau (marine limestone)
- clay
- varennes - alluvial
What are the 3 main soils of Sancerre?
- Silex - flint
- Terres blanches - kimmeridgian clay
- Caillottes - stony, fossils
What are the 3 subzones for Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine?
- Clisson
- Le Pallet
- Gorges
What are the 4 AOPs for Melon in Pays Nantais?
- Muscadet
- Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire
- Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu
- Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine
What are the aging requirements for Muscadet Sur Lie?
Wines are aged on their lees over the winter, and are bottled directly off the fine lees (without filtering) between 3/1 and 11/30 of the year following the harvest, cannot be markested until 3/8
What are the best and most ageworthy red wines historically produced in the Loire?
Chinon and Bourgueil in Touraine
What are the colors/grapes of Cotes du Forez and Cote Roannaise?
Red and rosé - Gamay
What are the grapes used for Touraine AOP white wines?
Sauvignon Blanc and a max 20% Sauvignon Gris
What are the major grapes used for red and rosé Touraine AOP wines?
- Gamay
- Groslot
- Pineau d’Aunis
- Cab Franc
What are the soils of Saumur?
soft tuffeau limestone
What color and grape is used for the Orléans-Cléry AOP?
Red only - 100% Cab Franc
What color can be produced under the Pouilly-Fumé AOP?
White only
What color wines and what grapes are used for Cheverny AOP? Where is it located?
- Light reds - Pinot Noir and Gamay based
- White - SB
- Touraine
What color wines are produced under the Chinon AOP? From what grapes?
- Red, rosé - Cab Franc + 10% Cab Sauv
- White - Chenin Blanc
What color wines are produced under the Quincy AOP?
White only - Sauv Blanc
What colors are produced for Cotes d’Auvergne and St-Pourçain?
Red, rosé and white
What colors/grapes are used for Coteaux du Giennois AOP? Where is it located?
- Central Vineyards
- White - SB
- Red and rosé - req blended PN and Gamay
What colors/grapes are used for Reuilly AOP?
- Red - PN
- Rosé - PG
- White - Sauv Blanc
What communes are Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume located in?
- Bonnezeaux - Thouarcé
- Quarts de Chaume - Rochefort-sur-Loire
What former “Grand Crus” of Savennières finally received their own AOCs in 2011? Which is a monopole of Nicolas Joly?
- Roche aux Moines
- Coulée de Serrant - monopole of Nicolas Joly
What former part of Vouvray now has its own AOP?
Montlouis-sur-Loire AOP - 100% Chenin Blanc
What former VDQS of Central Vineyards was promoted in 2006? What colors/grapes?
- Orléans AOP
- Red and rosé - Pinot Meunier
- White - Chardonnay
What former VDQS of Pays Nantais was upgraded to AOC in 2011? Where is it located?
- Haut-Poitou
- 50 miles due south of Chinon
What grape dominates Anjou blanc?
Chenin Blanc
What grape dominates the Saumur-Champigny AOP? Where is produced?
- Cabernet Franc
- The commune of Champigny and the eight surrounding villages
What grape is used for the Pouilly-sur-Loire AOP?
Chasselas
What grapes are used for red Saumur AOP wines?
CF, CS, and Pineau d’Aunis
What grapes are used for Vouvray AOP? Where is it located?
- Chenin Blanc + 5% Orbois
- Touraine
What is “Cru Communaux”?
A designation that was proposed in 2001, requiring eligible wines from specified schist soils to spend a min 18 months sur lie
- In 2011, this proposal introduced 3 subzones for Sevre-et-Maine:
- Clisson
- Le Pallet
- Gorges
What is “Hermine d’Or”?
An unofficial label term that promotes terroir and stresses ageability for Muscadet
What is Cabernet Franc called in the Loire Valley?
Breton
What is Chenin Blanc known as in Anjou?
Pineau de la Loire
What is Folle Blanche called in the Loire Valley?
Gros Plant
What is Groslot called in the Loire Valley?
Grolleau
What is Jasnières AOP?
A sub-appellation to Coteaux du Loir (Touraine), produces Chenin Blanc
What is Malbec called in the Loire Valley?
Cot
What is Menetou-Salon AOP located? What grapes are used?
- Central Vineyards
- Sauv Blanc/Pinot Noir
What is Orbois called in the Loire Valley?
Menu Pineau
What is Pinot Meunier known as in the Loire Valley?
Gris Meunier
What is the AOP for red wines produced in the Coteaux l’Aubance boundaries?
Anjou Villages Brissac AOP
What is the AOP for sweet wines produced under the Anjou Villages Brissac boundaries?
Coteaux l’Aubance
What is the basic AOP in Anjou for Gamay?
Anjou Gamay AOP - but Gamay may not be blended in standard rouge bottlings
What is the Coteaux du Vendômois AOP?
(Touraine) Located NE of Coteaux du Loir, a newer appellation specializing in dry rosé of Pineau d’Aunis
What is the major soil of Pouilly-Fumé?
Silex - flint
What is the min residual sugar for Coteaux du Layon and Coteaux du l’Aubance?
34g/l of RS
What is the min RS required for the wines of Chaume?
min 80 g/l of RS
What is the southernmost AOP in the Loire? What colors are produced?
- Cotes d’Auvergne AOP
- Red, rosé, and white
What is the Terres blanches soil of the Central Vineyards?
A continuation of the same Kimmeridgian clay that extends into Chablis
What is Touraine Noble-Joué AOP for? When was it created?
- 2001
- It recreates a historical vin gris style of a blend of Gris Meunier (Pinot Meunier), Malvosie (PG) and Pinot Noir
What moniker is used for Didier Dagueneau’s “Grand Cru” bottling of Pouilly-Fumé?
“Silex”
What other AOP of the Loire other than Muscadet can be labeled sur lie?
Gros Plant du Pays Nantais
What portion of Anjou’s total production is devoted to rosé? What grape dominates these?
- 45%
- Grolleau
What range of sweetness levels are produced under Vouvray?
- Sec
- Sec-tendre (off-dry)
- Demi-sec
- Moelleux
- Liquereux
What regions can blend into Crémant de Loire AOP?
Touraine, Anjou and Saumur
What river are Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé located on?
Loire River
What seven villages are entitled to add their names to the basic Coteaux du Layon AOP? What is required for these wines?
- Beaulieu-sur-Layon
- Rochefort-sur-Loire
- Faye d’Anjou
- St-Lambert du Lattay
- St-Aubin de Luigné
- Rablay-sur-Layon
- Chaume
- Higher min must weights, lower max yields
What southern Touraine AOP is for both wine and goats’ milk cheeses? What grapes are used?
-Valençay AOP
White - SB
Rosé/Red - Gamay, PN, Cot
What style of wine is produced under the Coteaux de l’Aubance AOP? Where is it located?
- Sweet botrytis Chenin Blanc
- Anjou
What style of wines are produced under the Bourgueil and St-Nicholas-de-Bourgueil AOPs? From what grapes?
- Red and rosé
- Cab Franc + 10% Cab Sauv
What style of wines are produced under the Coteaux du Loir AOP?
- Red and rosé - Pineau d’Aunis
- White - Chenin Blanc
What style wines are produced under the Anjou-Villages AOP? What are the major varieties?
Red only - CF and CS
What styles of wine are produced under Coteaux du Layon AOP? Where is located?
- Sweet botrytis Chenin Blanc
- Anjou
What styles of wines are produced under the Anjou AOP?
- Red
- White
- Sparkling
What tributary of the Loire is Chinon located on?
Vienne
What was the second demarcated appellation in France?
Quincy (Central Vineyards)
What white grapes are used for Saumur AOP? The recipe is shared with what AOP?
- Chenin Blanc - until 2016 max combined 20% Chard and SB
- a recipe identical to Anjou Blanc
What wines are produced under the Saumur AOP?
- Red
- Dry white
- Sparkling white
- Sparkling rosé
What wines of Anjou can carry the “Premier Cru” moniker?
- Chaume
- Quarts de Chaume complained enough to have it banished back into the fold in 2009. When Quarts de Chaume was bestowed with “Grand Cru” the INAO allowed “1er cru” on Chaume
Where are Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume located? What wines are produced?
- Coteaux du Layon (Anjou)
- Sweet Chenin Blanc
Where is Chasselas produced in the Loire Valley?
Pouilly-sur-Loire AOP (Central Vineyards)
Where is Cour-Cheverny located? What grape is it?
- Touraine
- Romorantin
Where is the Loire’s center for sparkling wine?
Saumur
Which sub-region of Muscadet is the leanest wine?
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP - the most northerly appellation
What is the cepage of Chinon rouge & rosé?
Cab Franc + max 10% Cab Sauv
What is the max yield and max RS for Quarts de Chaume? Chaume?
Quarts de Chaume (as of 2011):
•20hl/ha
•85g/l RS
Chaume:
•25hl/ha
•80g/l RS (as of 2011)
Classic white varietals of Loire
Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc, & melon de Bourgogne
Secondary white grapes of Loire
Chardonnay, orbois, romorantin, Gros plant (folle Blanche), & chasselas
Red wine grapes of Loire
Cabernet franc, Pinot noir, gamay, cab Sauvignon, Malbec, pineau d’aunis, groslot
Pays Nantais climate
Cool, wet maritime
Most planted grape of Pays Nantais
Muscadet/ melon de Bourgogne
4 appellations for muscadet in pays Nantais
Muscadet AOP, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP, Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu AOP, & Muscadet Serve et Maine AOP
Soils of Muscadet Serve et Maine AOP
Gneiss, silica, clay,& granite
3 subzones of Muscadet serve et Maine
Clisson, Le Pallet, & Gorges
Where is Anjou saumur?
Between pays Nantais and touraine
Location of saumur
It’s an eastern sub-region of Anjou, adjacent to chinon
Anjou produces:
Dry and sweet wines from Chenin blanc as well as rosés from Groulleau, which accounts for 45% of production
Soils/ topography of savennieres
North bank of Loire, steep southern exposure, blue schist mixed with volcanic debris
2 sub appellations of Coteaux du Layon
Bonnezeaux & Quarts de Chaume
Where is Bonnezeaux AOP?
South facing aspects in the commune of Thouarcé in Coteaux du Layon
Where is Quarts de Chaume AOP
South facing aspect in the commune of Rochefort-Sur-Loire in Coteaux du Layon in Anjou Samur
Where is Quarts de Chaume AOP
South facing aspect in the commune of Rochefort-Sur-Loire in Coteaux du Layon in Anjou Samur
Quarts du Chaume soils/ climate
Small band of sandstone and schist hillsides on the banks of the Layon River and is protected from winds and touched by morning mists.
Anjou Villages Brissac AOP covers the same 10 communes as
Coteaux de l’Aubance
Champigny soils
Harder limestone that is iron rich and inflected with shale.
How many appellations of Anjou Saumur are there?
18
Soils of Bourgueil
Sand and limestone
Soil of St Nicolas de Bourgueil
Lighter alluvial soils.
Grapes of chinon, bourgueil and st Nicolas
Cab franc with up to 10% cab sauv. Only chinon can produce whites, from Chenin blanc
Which appellation is across the river from vouvray?
Montlouis sur Loire
Montlouis sur Loire AOP
Formerly part of vouvray, similar in style, may be made in the same spectrum of styles. Orbois is not permitted.
Synonym for Pinot Gris in Touraine
Malvosie
Coteaux du Vendômois AOP
Dry roses from pineau d’aunis
Chevrey AOP
Light reds from Pinot noir and gamay. Whites from sauv blanc
Cour-Cheverney AOP
100% Romorantin bottled varietally
Climate of the central vineyards
Chiefly continental; cold winters and brisk days during harvest and bud break bring the dangers of frost. Short summers do not assure easy ripening.
Caillottes
Stoney soil littered with fossils. (found in Sancerre)
Who appropriated the “silex” moniker for his Pouilly Fune Grand Cru
Didier Dagueneau
Sancerre rouge/ rose is made from
Pinot noir
Pouilly sur Loire AOP
White wines from chasselas
Menetou Salon AOP
Sauv blanc and Pinot noir
Reuilly AOP
Sauv blanc and Pinot noir. Roses in vin Gris style from Pinot Gris.
Chateaumaillant AOP
Reds and roses from gamay.
Where is Fiefs Vendeens?
Pays Nantais
Where is savennieres?
Anjou-Saumur
Where is valençay?
Touraine
Where is menetou salon?
Central vineyards
Where is Sancerre?
Central vineyards