Loire Valley Flashcards
When did Loire winemaking first begin?
in the first century, 2000 years ago, with the romans
When & to where did the first wines leave Nantes for export?
To England in the 11th century
Who was responsible for first making Loire wines high status? When?
In 1154 Henry II Plantagenet expanded Anjou vineyards and made Loire wines the only ones allowed to be served at court
When was cab franc first recorded in the Loire?
In 1534 by François Rabelais
What factors help explain the decline of Loire wines from wines of kings to obscure value wines of today? When did they occur?
-1709 Severe winter freeze decimated vines
-1790s on, Fighting from the french revolution destroyed the industry
-1875 Phyloxera reached the Loire
(18th & 19th centuries, broadly)
What Loire Valley appellation has the honor of being delineated second after CdP?
Quincy in 1936
What is the Loire Valley France’s biggest producer of? Second biggest producer?
White & sparkling wine. respectively (champagne is top sparkling producer)
What kinds of wine does the Loire produce?
White, red, rosé, sparkling, sweet, fortified. Everything.
What is the hallmark character of a Loire Valley white wine, despite all the diversity of the region? Why?
High acid, due to limestone soils and cool climate
What is the Loire’s relationship to oak? Why?
Loire valley wines see little to no new oak and instead emphasize varietal purity. This is largely because they’ve never had the fame & funding of regions like burgundy & bordeaux.
How do red Loire Valley wines tend to express themselves?
Medium bodied & perfumed
How do Loire Valley sauv blancs & chenin blancs tend to express themselves?
Sauvignon blancs will be classically grassy & mineral driven.
While chenin is made in a range of styles, it oxidizes so easily that lanolin, chamomile, & bruised apple will be be present.
What is the style of Loire Valley sweet wines?
May or may not feature botrytis, will be aged in neutral oak.
What rules govern the Crémant de Loire AOP?
Traditional method sparklers
Can be white or rosé
Made from any local variety except Melon
Must see minimum 12 months aging prior to release, with 9 months lees
What rules govern Rosé de Loire AOP?
Must be dry and still from any allowed Loire red grape.
What is the climate of the Central Vineyards?
True cool continental.
cold, snowy winters.
warm, dry summers.
What are the primary varieties of the Central Vineyards
Sauv Blanc & Pinot Noir
What are the 2 primary AOPs of the Central Vineyards? Do both allow reds & rosés?
Sancerre & Pouilly-Fumé, but only Sancerre allows red & rosé based on Pinot Noir.
How is the style of Sancerre changing in recent years?
While it’s famously steely, herbaceous, & mineral driven, rising regional temperatures has increased the likelihood of tropical fruit components like pineapple.
Who is the most famous Pouilly-Fumé producer? Why?
Didier Dagueneau
Famously appropriated the term Silex for his top bottling, and is a rare loire producer to utilize new oak.
What are the important soils of the Central Vineyards?
Silex (flint)
Terres Blanches (kimmeridgian clay)
Caillottes (stony soils full of fossils)
What are the outlier appellations of the Central Vineyards? What do they produce?
Orléans AOP: Wines of all colors utilizing Chardonnay & Meunier
Orléans-Clery AOP: only red from cab franc
What is the climate of Touraine?
Continental with oceanic influence.
Winters are more mild than in Central Vineyards.
More rain & humidity
Which rivers converge in Touraine?
Indre, Cher, & Vienne
What river doesn’t converge directly with the Loire in Touraine, but its AOPs are still part of Touraine? What are the
AOPs?
Loir River
Coteaux du Loir,
Jasnières
Coteaux de Vendômois
What are the major soil types of Touraine?
Tuffeau (soft, limestone outcroppings), usually found on slopes, allowing for wines of greater depth & concentration
Varennes (sandy alluvial soils), usually found closer to river beds and tending to produce lighter wines
What rules govern Chinon AOP?
Dry whites from Chenin Blanc
Dry reds & rosés from Cabernet Franc
What rules govern Touraine AOP?
5 villages can add their names, and often have specific rules that differ from generic. As of 2016 chenin blanc is disallowed and whites are based on Sauvignon blanc with 20% sauvignon gris allowed
Rosé using any red grape
Reds vary by village but mostly based on Malbec or Gamay
What are the major appellations within Touraine?
Touraine AOP
Chinon AOP
Borgueil AOP
Saint-Nicholas-de-Bourgueil AOP
Vouvray AOP
Montlouis-sur-Loire AOP
What is the largest Loire Valley subregion?
Anjou-Saumur
What is the climate of Anjou-Saumur?
Maritime with slight continental influence.
Rot is primary concern from wet springs & falls
Winters are cold but not hazardous.
What are the main grapes of Anjou-Saumur?
Chenin Blanc & Cab Franc
What are the Loire Valley’s regional grape nicknames?
Chenin Blanc - Pineau de la Loire
Côt - Malbec
What are the soils of Anjou-Saumur?
Blue schist, gravel, sand, alluvial, tuffeau
What major tributaries branch off in Anjou-Saumur?
Loir & Layon
Why is the Layon better of botrytis conditions than the Loir?
It’s warmer & shallower, which encourages the morning mists essential for botrytis development.
What styles of wine are made in Anjou-Saumur?
Everything: white, rosé, red, sweet, sparkling.
What are the major AOPs of Anjou-Saumur?
Anjou
Anjou Villages & Brissac
Savennières
Coteaux du Layon & Coteaux de l’Aubance
Bonnezeaux & Quarts de Chuame
Saumur
Saumur-Champigny
What rules govern the Anjou AOP?
All styles & grapes allowed, as this is the umbrella appellation for mass production or declassification.
What rules govern the Anjou Villages AOP?
Only dry reds from cab & cab franc
What rules govern the Brissac AOP?
Only dry reds from cab & cab franc
What rules govern the Savennières AOP?
Chenin blanc whites ranging from dry to sweet, though practically known for dry, complex, age-worthy wines.
What are the 2 subappellations of Savenières?
Coulée de Serrant
Roche au Moines
Who is Nicholas Joly and why does he matter?
Nicholas Joly made the Chenin Blanc of Coulée de Serrant in Savenièrres famous for biodynamics.
What rules govern the Coteaux du Layon AOP?
medium-sweet to sweet chenin blancs
What rules govern the Coteaux de l’Aubance AOP?
medium-sweet to sweet chenin blancs
What rules govern the Quarts de Chaume AOP?
Sweet chenin with high minimum sugar requirements and botrytis requirements. Will be declassified in bad vintages. Loire Valley’s only Grand Cru wine.
What rules govern the Bonnezeaux AOP?
Sweet chenin with high minimum sugar requirements and botrytis requirements. Will be declassified in bad vintages.
What rules govern the Saumur AOP?
Dry whites from Chenin
Rosé & reds from Cab Franc
Sparkling wines from any allowed variety
What rules govern the Saumur-Champigny AOP?
Only red wines from Cab Franc
What is the primary grape of the Pays Nantais? Why did its name recently change?
Melon, formerly Melon de Bourgogne, because while it came from burgundy long, long ago. It has no other association with the region.
What style of wine is the Pays Nantais famous for?
A very light, high acid white wine called Muscadet.
What is the climate of the Pays Nantais?
True Maritime
Little temperature variation throughout the year
Frost and rot are biggest threats in spring & fall.
Why did sur lee aging become popular for muscadet? What are requirements for labeling a wine as such in the Pays Nantais?
Vintners realized while trying to promote Muscadet as world-class wine, that lees aging provided a richer texture and increased complexity.
Wine has to be bottled directly off lees (no flitering) between March 1st and November 30th the year after Harvest. If aged longer, which some AOPs requre, they can’t use the term Sur Lie but instead use the AOP name only.
What are the major tributary branches of the Pays Nantais?
Sèvre et Maine
What are the soils of the Pays Nantais?
schist, silica, clay, & granite.
What are the major subappellations of the Pays Nantais?
Muscadet
Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire
Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu
