Loire Valley Flashcards
Study
Loire White Grapes
Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Melon
Loire Red Grapes
Pinot Noir, Gamay,
Cabernet Franc, Côt (Malbec)
Location of Loire Valley
Sancerre is 126 miles almost due south of Paris, while Nantes is 239 miles southwest of
Paris. The distance between Chablis and Sancerre is only 56 miles.
Central Vineyards Bodies of Water
Cher River, Loire River
Touraine Bodies of Water
Loir, Cher, Indre, and Vienne rivers
Anjou Bodies of Water
Loir and Layon Rivers
Pays Nantais Bodies of Water
Sevre and
Maine Rivers, Lac de Grand-Lieu, Atlantic Ocean
Major Loire Valley Cities
Major cities from east to west, Nevers, Orléans, Blois, Tours, Poitiers, Angers, Nantes
Central Vineyards Soil
Kimmeridgian clay (called terres blanches, the same formation that
is found in Chablis), caillottes (fossils), silex (flint rich).
Touraine Soil
Tuffeau (limestone), clay, varennes (sand and alluvial)
Anjou-Saumur Soil
volcanic and blue schist in Savennières, sandstone and schist on the
Layon river, tuffeau near saumur, iron-rich limestone near Saumur-Champigny
Pays Nantais Soil
granite, clay, gneiss.
Loire Valley White Wines
This region makes more white wines than any other wine region and is second in sparkling
wine production to Champagne.
Loire Valley Wine Styles
The Loire Valley makes every type of wine from dry to sweet, sparkling, and sometimes
fortified (although this is not widely marketed).
Loire Valley in all regions is especially known for
The Loire Valley, in all subregions, is known for high acid whites.
Oak Influence in Loire Valley
This region has never had the financing or acclaim as Bordeaux, so they tend to use little to
no new oak and focus on varietal purity.
High Limestone content creates
The high limestone content of the region naturally creates wines with high acidity.
Loire Valley Red Wine Characteristics
Red wines tend to be medium-bodied and perfumed- lots of Cab Franc
Loire Valley Sauv Blanc Characteristics
Sauvignon Blanc classically grassy and mineral-driven,
Loire Valley Chenin Blanc Characteristics
Chenin Blanc will be
any style but with the characteristic lanolin, bruised apple, and chamomile notes (Chenin
naturally oxidizes easily and these notes will be present).
Loire Valley Sweet Wines
Sweet wines, botrytized or not, will have pure fruit characteristics and be aged in neutral
oak
Cremant de Loire AOP
can be white or rosé, and from any varietals except Melon.
Minimum 9 (Tony Romo) months on lees, aged 12 (Roger Staubach) months before release.
Rosé de Loire AOP
Dry rosé from any red grape variety in the Loire.
Central Vineyards Climate
a true
continental climate with cold, snowy
winters, and warm, dry summers
Two Major Grapes in Central Vineyards
Sauvignon Blanc
and Pinot Noir
Two Major Central Vineyards AOPs
Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre
Pouilly-Fume Wine Styles
Pouilly-Fumé is for white wines only
Sancerre Wine Styles
Sancerre allows red and rosé from Pinot
Noir, and whites from Sauvignon Blanc.
Characteristics of Central Valley White Wines
The whites of these regions are steely,
herbaceous, and mineral-driven, but with
rising regional temperatures can
sometimes take on more ripe tropical fruit
and pineapple-like Sauvignon Blanc from
Bordeaux.
Soil types in Central Vineyards
silex (flint), terres
blanches (Kimmeridgian clay), and
caillottes (stony, fossils)
Famous producer of Pouilly Fumé
Didier Dagueneau
Orléans AOP
allows Chardonnay and Meunier
Orléans-Clery AOP
reds only from
Cabernet Franc
Touraine Climate
continental with
oceanic influences, the winters are not as
cold as the Central Vineyards, and
Touraine tends to receive more rain and
humidity
Botrytis in Touraine
This region is a major
confluence of rivers, creating numerous
pockets of different terroirs and areas that
are great for botrytis
Three tributaries of Loire River in Touraine
Indre,
Cher, and Vienne
Major soil types in Touraine
The major soil
types here are tuffeau or limestone
outcroppings and varennes (sandy
alluvial) which help the varieties maintain
high acidity, even in warm vintages.
Styles of Wine in Touraine
vary from dry red and white,
rose, to off-dry and sweet wines
Chinon AOP
dry whites from Chenin Blanc, dry reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc
Bourgueil AOP
dry reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc
Saint-Nicholas-de-Bourgueil AOP
dry reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc
Vouvray AOP
Dry to sweet, and sparkling white wines from Chenin Blanc
Montlouis-sur-Loire AOP
Dry to sweet, and sparkling white wines from Chenin Blanc
Touraine AOP
Encompasses five villages that all make wine from either Sauvignon
Blanc or Chenin Blanc. Today wines have to be based on Sauvignon Blanc for whites
unless they are village designated. All red varieties are allowed for rosé, and each village
makes a different style red wine mainly from Côt (Malbec) or Gamay
Anjou-Saumur
The climate here is more
maritime, with slight continental
influences. Rot is an issue from wet
springs and falls, and winters are cold
but without the same freezing
temperatures
Grapes in Anjou-Saumur
Chinon Blanc (Pineau de
la Loire) dominates here with Cabernet
Franc
Soils in Anjou-Saumur
blueschist, gravel, sand, and alluvial
with small mixes of tuffeau
Anjou-Saumur bodies of water
The major
tributaries of the Loire here are the Loir
and the Layon. The Layon is shallower
and warmer, which creates the perfect
morning mist for botrytis
Anjou AOP Wine Styles
dry to sweet whites,
reds, rosé, sparkling, and sparkling
rosé wines are made from every
allowable grape varietal. This is the
“umbrella” AOP either for mass
production or declassification
Anjou Villages (and Brissac) AOPs
dry reds only from Cabernet
Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Savennières AOP
dry to sweet wines from Chenin Blanc, some of the longest-lived
examples come from here
Two AOP’s within Savennières AOP
Coulée de Serrant (made
famous by Nicholas Joly for biodynamics) and Roche aux Moines
Coteaux du Layon and Coteaux de l’Aubance AOPs:
medium-sweet to sweet wines (botrytis
infected) from Chenin Blanc.
Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume AOPs:
Both located in Coteaux du Layon. The richest
dessert wines from the Loire, these are from Chenin Blanc and have high minimum residual
sugar requirements. Will be infected by botrytis, and declassified in bad vintages.
Saumur AOP
dry white wines from Chenin Blanc, rosé and reds from Cabernet Franc.
Sparkling wines from any allowed varietal
Saumur-Champigny AOP
Red wines only from Cabernet Franc
Pays Nantais Grape
The Pays Nantais claim to fame is a light, high acid white grape that used to be called Melon
de Bourgogne- now it’s just called Melon
Pays Nantais Climate
true maritime climate with little temperature variation throughout the year, and frost and rot can
be a major issue in the spring and fall
Lees Aging in Pays Nantais
give the wines much more richness if they aged
it on the fine lees
Bodies of Water for Pays Nantais
The major rivers that meet the Loire are the Sèvre and Maine, with the Atlantic ocean being a
major influencing factor
Sur Lie
adding “sur lie” to the
labels if the wine was bottled directly off the lees between March 1st and November 31st the
year after harvest. If the wine is aged on the lees any longer (which some AOPs require) the
term “sur lie” can no longer be used on the label.
Soils in Pays Nantais
schist, silica, clay, and granite
Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOP
has three subzones: Clisson, La Pallet,
and Gorges
Other Pays Nantais AOP’s
Other AOPs to know are the overarching Muscadet AOP, Muscadet Coteaux de
la Loire AOP, and Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOP
