Loire Valley Flashcards
T/F The Loire River is the France’s longest river with 625 miles
True
How is it called the Loire Valley?
The garden of France
How is the climate at Loire Valley
Maritime climate to west/coastal, continental climate to east/inland
Loire Valley’s Primary white grape varieties
Chenin Blanc
Muscadet (melon de Bourgogne)
Sauvignon Blanc
Chardonnay
Loire Valley’s red wine varieties…
Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Pinot Noir Gamay Groslot
What is Pays Nantais?
A region of the Loire Valley, maritime climate with gravel/sand over schist/granite/basalt soils
Pays Nantais AOC’s
Muscadet de Sevre et Maine AOC
Muscadet Sur Lie
Three cru’s (sub-zones); Clisson, Gorges and Le Pallet. No Sur Lie designation for cru’s
How is the Sur Lie bottling?
Wines matured on lees for 6-9 months following harvest
What are New Pays Nantais AOC’s
Gros plant du pays Nantais
Fiefs Vendeens
Coteaux d’Ancenis
What kind of wines does Coteaux d’Ancenis produce?
Red, white and rose
What kind of wine does Fiefs Vendeens produce?
Primarily young, red gamay based wines
What is the Loire’s most important grape?
Chenin Blanc. Produces 4 different styles of wine: dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling
Anjou In Loire Valley…
Rose is almost half of production, whites from Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, reds from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Anjou Villages wines…
Red wines from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Savennieres wines in Anjou…
Dry wines from Chenin Blanc, tiny appellation, best wines have great aging potential, two vineyards are their own AOC’s within Savennieres: Clos de la Coulee de Serrant and Chateau de la Roche aux Moines
Specifications from Layon Valley at Anjou…
Sweet botrytis Chenin Blanc wines
Made only in exceptional years
Coteaux du Layon AOC’s
Bonnezeaux
Quarts de Chaume (allowed to use indication Grand Cru)
Coteaux du Layon-Chaume ( can use indication Premier Cru)
Coteaux du Layon Villages
Saumur AOC’s
Saumur Mosseux
Cremant de la Loire
Saumur Champigny
Wines from Saumur Mosseux…
Sparkling wines from Chenin Blanc with up to 20% Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
Best wines made by Methode Traditionelle
Wines from Cremant de la Loire…
Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet franc
Saumur Champigny wines…
Reds from Cabernets and Pineau d’Aunis
Best will mature 6-10 years
Touraine AOC’s…
Vouvray
Montlouis
Chinon
Bourgueil & St Nicolas de Bourgueill
Vouvray wines…
Whites from Chenin Blanc (8 villages)
Soils: limestone over tufa
Wide range of styles
Montlouis wines…
Chenin Blanc wines in ten same styles as Vouvray
