Loire Valley Flashcards
Grape allowed in Vouvray but not Montlouis but rarely encountered?
Orbois
3 other Central Vineyard AOPs that produce varietal Sauv Blanc
Reuilly AOP
Quincy AOP
Coteaux du Giennois AOP
Longest River in France?
Loire
What and where are varennes?
Sandy alluvial soil near the river Vienne, a loire tributary
3 new Appellations created in 2011
Gros Plant du Pays Nantais
Coteaux d’Ancenis
Fiefs Vendéens
How does Saumur relate to Chinon?
It is adjacent to Chinon in Touraine
When did Melon de Bourgogne show up in Pays Nantais and what was it used for?
17th Century for Distilling
Coteaux du Loir AOP
red blends and rosés are based on Pineau d’Aunis and the white wines are exclusively produced from Chenin Blanc
How can Gamay be used?
Can be labeled varietally but cannot be used in Anjou Rouge blends
Saumur-Champigny blend
Cabernet Franc, plus a max. 15% combined Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d’Aunis
What side of the Loire is Savennieres on and what is the advantage?
North side, steep southern exposure
When labeling wines by village what must be done?
Higher must weight, lower yields
4 Appellations of Muscadet
Muscadet AOP
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP
Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOP
Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOP.
How much of Anjou’s production is dedicated to Rose?
45%
Can Saumur wines be labeled as Anjou AOP?
yes but not vice versa
3 Soils of Sancerre
silex, terres blanches, and caillottes
How does Saumur relate to Anjou?
It is an eastern subregion
Two sub zones of Savennieres
Roche aux Moines
Coulee de Serrant
Two sweet wine districts south of Anger and the Loire
Coteaux du Layon AOP
Coteaux de l’Aubance AOP
How much of Muscadet production is labeled as Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine AOP?
Over 80%
Saumur Rouge blend
Cabernet Franc, plus a max. 30% combined Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d’Aunis
Villages allowed to append their names to the Coteaux de Layon appellation
Beaulieu-sur-Layon Rochefort-sur-Loire Faye d’Anjou St-Lambert du Lattay St-Aubin de Luigné Rablay-sur-Layon Chaume
Caillottes
stony soil, littered with fossils
How much is the total production of Quarts de Chaume?
less than 10,000 cases annually
Silex
has a higher proportion of flint, continuing into the communes of Pouilly-Fumé across the river, where a certain “gunflint” character is implied in the wines
What is the dominant grape in much of Anjou’s Rose production?
Grolleau
In what year did the two unofficial grand crus of Savennieres receive AOC Status?
2011
8 Villages allowed to produce Saumur-Chapigny
Chacé Montsoreau Parnay Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg Saumur Souzay-Champigny Turquant, Varrains
Difference between Saumur AOP sparkling and Cremant de Loire
Cremant offers the most promise, allowing blending across Touraine and Anjou-Saumur while permitting fewer restrictions on grape usage.
Style and blend of Gros Plant du Pays Nantais
Min 70% Folle Blanche (Gros Plant) plus Montils and a max. 10% Colombard
Haut-Poitou Rose Blend
Min. 40% Cabernet Franc, plus a min. 20% Pinot Noir and a min. 20% Gamay
What is the prevailing soil type of Champigny?
Hard limestone, iron rich, inflected with Shale
Where is Anjou-Saumur?
Between Pays Nantais and Saumur
3 sub zones for Muscadet Sevre et Maine
Clisson
Le Pallet
Gorges
Savennieres Blend
100% Chenin
Two appellations within Coteaux du Layon AOP
Bonnezeaux AOP
Quarts de Chaume AOP
How much of Anjou’s plantings are Cabernet Franc?
nearly 1/3
Cheverny AOP
Cheverny’s light reds are Pinot Noir- and Gamay-based, while the lean whites are dominated by Sauvignon Blanc
When did winemaking start in the Loire?
1st Century CE
When was Muscaday Cotes de Grandlieu AOP Created?
1994
Soil type of St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
Lighter alluvial soils, with a corresponding lighter style of wine
Pays Nantais Climate
Wet, Cool Maritime
Sancerre AOP and Pouilly Fume AOP Grape
Sauvignon Blanc
How are Vouvray and Montlouis-sur-Loire situated?
Vouvray is south of the river while Montlouis sits just across the river
In what commune is Bonnezeaux and what is the aspect of its vineyards?
Thouarcé
South facing
What is Chenin known as in Anjou?
Pineau de la Loire
What is the commune of Quarts de Chaume and what is the aspect of its vineyards?
Rochefort-sur-Loire
South facing
St-Pourcain AOP
Pinot and Gamay reds, exclusively Gamay Rose
Saumur Blanc blend
Chenin with up to 20% Chardonnay or Sauv Blanc, now 100% Chenin
Two grapes found in Anjou-Villages blend
Cab Franc, Cab Sauv
Coteaux d’Ancenis Blends
Blanc: 100% Pinot Gris
Rosé: 100% Gamay
Rouge: 100% Gamay
Minimum RS in both Sweet wine districts
34 g/l
What does Champigny mean?
Field of Fire
Menetou-Salon AOP
Sauv Blanc and Pinot Noir
Legally, what is Sur Lie?
Sur lie wines are aged on their lees over the winter, and are bottled directly off the fine lees (without filtering) between March 1 and November 30 of the year following the harvest.
Fiefs Vendeens Blend Blanc
Blanc: Principal Variety (Min. 60%): Chenin Blanc Complementary Varieties (Min. 10% combined): Chardonnay (Grolleau Gris is also considered complementary in Brem, and Sauvignon Blanc is also considered complementary in Vix.)
Two good producers of Quarts de Chaume and what else do they make?
Domaine des Baumard and Château Pierre-Bise
Savennieres
What are the soil types of Quarts de Chaume AOP?
a small band of sandstone and schist hillsides on the banks of the Layon River
Roses from Reuilly
Vin Gris of Pinot Gris
What is the mandatory picking practice of the two sweet wine districts?
Tries, to either get healthy grapes with true late harvest character or full botrytis
100% Chenin Blanc from Coteaux du Loir AOP labeled as
Jasnieres AOP
5 Villages allowed to append their name to Touraine AOP
Mesland Azay-le-Rideau Amboise Oisly Chenonceaux
Where do you find Tuffeau in Chinon?
on the slopes
Touraine Rouge
Cot Gamay Groslot Pineau d’Aunis Cabernet Franc
Coteaux du Vendômois AOP
A newer appellation specializing in dry rosés of Pineau d’Aunis
Fiefs Vendeens Blend Rose
Principal Varieties (Min. 80%): Gamay and Pinot Noir Accessory Varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Négrette
Difference between Vouvray and Jasnieres
Jasnieres is more green and herbal
What can Anjou AOP be used for?
Red, white, sparkling
Soil types of Chinon
tuffeau, clay, and varennes
What makes Quarts de Chaume good for Botrytis?
Protected from the prevailing winds and touched by morning mists streaming from the Layon
Côtes du Forez AOP and Côte Roannaise AOP
Exclusively Reds and Roses from Gamay
Only one of the three to produce any AOC White wine?
Chinon
Character of Saumur-Champigny
light, bright and elegantly floral expression of Cabernet Franc
Sancerre Rouge and Rose Grape
Pinot Noir
How many communes make up Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine AOP?
23
Cour-Cheverny AOP
Varietal Romorantin
What is the blend of Chinon, Bourgueil and St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil?
Cab franc with up to 10% cab sauv
How big is Quarts de Chaume AOP?
54 ha
Reds and Roses from Coteaux du Giennois AOP
Gamay and Pinot Noir
One of the best producers of Bonnezeaux
Château des Fesles
Saumur is the center of what type of production in the Loire?
Sparkling
Haut-Poitou Blanc Blend
Min. 60% Sauvignon Blanc, plus Sauvignon Gris
Coulee de Serrant is a Monopole for whom?
Nicolas Joly
Haut-Poitou Rouge Blend
Min. 60% Cabernet Franc, plus Gamay, Gamay de Bouze, Gamay de Chaudenay, Merlot, Pinot Noir
Where is Chinon in comparison to Bourgeuil and St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil?
Chinon is south of the river, while St-Nicolas de Bourgueil is a wedge into Bourgeuil opening north west
Terres Blanches
A continuation of the same Kimmeridgian clay that extends into Chablis
Primeur in Touraine
100% Gamay
Sweetness levels of Vouvray
sec sec-tendre (off-dry) demi-sec moelleux liquereux
Touraine Noble-Joué AOP
Recreates a historical style of vin gris, a blend of Gris Meunier (Pinot Meunier), Malvosie (Pinot Gris), and Pinot Noir
Complimentary Grape in Fiefs Blanc and Rose in Brem exclusively
Grolleau Gris
Reds from Reuilly
Pinot Noir
Most northerly appellation in Muscadet, and what characterizes the wines
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire, cooler climate means fresher wines
