Loire Valley Flashcards
Describe the Loire Valley as a wine region
The Loire is France’s longest river.
The most important vineyards are located on last few hundred kilometres before the Atlantic ocean.
There is a big variation of styles and appellations of both red, white and rosé still wines.
What are the 4 main sub-regions of the Loire Valley from east to west ?
Central vineyards
Touraine
Anjou-Saumur
Nantais
What is the regional appellation for the Loire Valley ?
It doesn’t exist, there is no generic appellation for Loire. (Production of Rosé de Loire and Crémant de Loire is focused in Anjou and Saumur, resepctively).
But there is an IGP that covers the region, Val de Loire, producing straightforward, fresh wines with light body and simple fruit flavours.
What is the climate like in the Loire Valley ?
Overall the climate is cool, but the Central Vineyards have a continental climate, whereas the Nantais has a maritime.
Anjou benefit from protection from the Mauges hills and some vineyards have warm stony soils are slightly warmer and drier than what might be expected (given their proximity to the ocean).
Touraine, further inland, is cooler than Anjou, wetter climate and clay soils.
Where is Sauvignon blanc mainly grown in the Loire Valley ?
Central vineyards (incl. Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé) and Touraine
Describe a typical Sauvignon blanc from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé
Vines on very chalky, well-drained stony soil.
Wines dry and high in acidity, hints of green apple and wet stones.
Pouilly-Fumé may have subtle smoky notes.
Most are not made for ageing.
But Let Monts Damnés and Chavignol (in Sancerre) have a reputation for particularly expressive wines, that can evolve in bottle.
What is Menetou-Salon ?
Vineyards lying on the tributaries of the Loire to the west and south of Sancerre, the most important being Menetou-Salon, moderately priced wines on Sauvignon blanc same style as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé.
Where is the main part of he Sauvignon Blanc grown in the Loire Valley ?
Touraine.
A generic regional appellation, Touraine, is used for less concentrated, simple fruity whites. Varietals ften labelled as e.g. Sauvignon de Touraine.
What is Chenin blanc ?
A high-acidity non-aromatic grape variety from which the greatest white wines of both Touraine and Anjou-Saumur are made.
The bunch ripens unevenly.
Wines may be dry, sweet, still or sparkling, depending on the achieved level of ripeness.
Young wines can have flavours of fresh apple -> tropical fruit
The dry wines can have a steely, smoky character
The sweet wines apricot, citrus peel (from noble rot)
Dry and sweet may age for decades.
Age => honey, toast, hay
What is the difference between Vouvray, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières and Coteaux du Layon in terms of winemaking on Chenin blanc ?
Vouvray tend to be light to medium in body, fresh fruity and floral notes, rarely oak,
Anjou-Saumur (Saumur fame for sparkling Chenin blanc), Anjou dry wines, often new oak.
Savennières produces full-bodied Chenin blanc in a dry style of which the best may bottle age for decades.
Coteaux du Layon produces sweet wines in the shelter of the River Layon to the south of the Loire. Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux have their own appellations.
