Loire Valley

Question 1

What are the 3 AOCs in the Loire Valley?

Answer 1

-Crémant de Loire
-Saumur
-Vouvray

Question 2

Sparkling is what %age of all Loire appellation wines?

Answer 2

-13%

Question 3

Where was the first sparkling wine cellars in Loire and why?

Answer 3

-Saumur
-suitable caves for ageing

Question 4

What %age of Loire wines is white?

Answer 4

-90%

Question 5

What type of wine does chenin give?

Answer 5

-med intensity
-apple and citrus
-light toasty autolytic
-2-3 yrs age= honeyed, high acidity

Question 6

What style is most wines from the loire valley?

Answer 6

-brut
-also demi sec
-brut nature= popular
-mid and prem priced

Question 7

Where is the fruit grown for crement?

Answer 7

-in middle
-Anjou-Saumur and Touraine only
-most fruit grown in S and SW Saumur

Question 8

What moderates the temp in loire?

Answer 8

-rive loire and it’s tributaries

Question 9

What else influences the temp?

Answer 9

-atlantic ocean
= cool and mild
-East of Tours- centre of Touraine
=low potential alc and high acidity

Question 10

What are the hazards?

Answer 10

-fungal disease
-untimely rainfall

Question 11

What are the soils?

Answer 11

-clay- limestone
-flint- clay
-sand
-gravel
-tuff
-Anjou= schist and limestone
-Touraine= chalk

Question 12

What do these soils offer?

Answer 12

-good drainage and water retention
-soils w excessive clay= not classified as too cold and lack drainage

Question 13

Soils often have too much limestone. How to cope with that?

Answer 13

-rootstocks tolerant of limestone- Fercal
=protection from chlorosis

Question 14

What are the grape varieties in CDL?

Answer 14

-chenin
-cab franc
-cab sav
-groilleau noir and gris
-pineau d’auris
-pn
-chard
-max 30% cab sav and pineau d’auris allowed
-savvy b not allowed

Question 15

What press and ferm vessel?

Answer 15

-pneumatic
-ss- oak not desired
-malo- depends

Question 16

Wines from diff areas within CDL may be what?

Answer 16

-blended before 2nd ferm in bottle= consistency in larger brands

Question 17

How long on lees?

Answer 17

-9m-2yrs

Question 18

Reserves?

Answer 18

-prem- yes
-mid priced- no

Question 19

What is the Prestige de Loire?

Answer 19

-top category

Question 20

What is the aim of Prestige de Loire?

Answer 20

-aim= establish wine at min price of $10 in France
-CDL, Anjou, Saumur, Vouvray

Question 21

What must the wines be for Prestige de Loire?

Answer 21

-white only
-chenin/cab franc/chard/pn
-min 24 m ageing on lees
-must be vintage dated
-brut
-producers must achieve set of environmental standards within 5 yrs

Question 22

Markets?

Answer 22

-50%- France
-50% exports
-Germ, USA, UK

Question 23

How is Saumur Mousseux and Vouvray Mousseux the same as CDL?

Answer 23

-2nd ferm in bottle
-min of 12m between tirage and release

Question 24

What is the proportion of still and sparkling made in SM and VM?

Answer 24

60:40 sparkling: still

Question 25

What must SM have?

Answer 25

-min of 60% chenin
-may contain 10% savvy b

Question 26

What must SM rose have?

Answer 26

-min of 60% cab franc
-may contain 10% savy b

Question 27

Describe the production of SM?

Answer 27

-mechanical harvest allowed
-more juice can be extracted than for crémant
=make more wine, cheaper way but lower quality

Question 28

What must VM have?

Answer 28

-chenin
-orbois- only other permitted grape

Question 29

What else is made in VM?

Answer 29

-Vouvray Petillant (lightly sparkling)
-Pet Nat

Question 30

Who makes the wines is SM and VM?

Answer 30

-common for producers who focus on still wines entrust secondary ferm to specialist= don’t have equipment/expertise b
-base wine- bulk-specialist
=will do bottling, 2nd ferm, lees, disgorging
-bottles returned for labelling and distribution