Pays de Loire Flashcards
What is France’s longest river? In which direction does it flow?
The Loire River is France’s longest river.
It flows from east to west, emptying in the Atlantic Ocean.
From west to east, what are the 4 major regions of the Loire Valley?
Nantais, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, Central Vineyards
What is the IGP in the Loire that covers the entire region?
Val de Loire IGP
Crémant de Loire production primarily takes place in which Loire Valley subregion?
What grape is traditionally used?
Subregion: Saumur
Grape: Chenin Blanc
Fun Fact: Crémant de Loire is made using Traditional Method
How do the climates of Pays Nantais and Central Vineyards differ?
The climate in Nantais is Maritime.
The climate in Central Vineyards is Continental.
The Mauges Hills protect which region in the Loire Valley?
Anjou
Which Loire region has pockets of stony soils and is warm and dry despite its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean?
Anjou
Which Loire region, despite being further inland, has a cooler + wetter climate than Anjou? (it has a lot of clay soil)
Touraine
What are two common weather threats in the Loire Valley?
High levels of rainfall, which makes fungal pressure high;
Spring frosts.
What are the benefits that vineyards with southerly aspect gain from facing the Loire River?
The river will reflect light and warmth to vineyards facing it which help vineyards at this northerly latitude.
The vineyards in the Loire Valley with the most advantageous positions are:
South facing (to maximize sun exposure)
Mid-slope (for best drainage)
Face the Loire River (reflected light and warmth)
What are the 4 predominant grape varieties of the Loire Valley and their areas of production?
Melon de Bourgogne/Melon Blanc: Nantais
Chenin Blanc: Anjou + Touraine
Cabernet Franc: Anjou + Touraine
Sauvignon Blanc: Central Vineyards + Touraine
Name some of the black grapes grown in the Loire Valley.
Cabernet Franc
Gamay
Pinot Noir
Grolleau
What are the Loire Valley’s 4 most eminent appellations growing Sauvignon Blanc?
Sancerre
Pouilly-Fumé
Menetou-Salon
Touraine
What are differences or similarities between Muscadet and Melon de Bourgogne/Melon Blanc?
Muscadet is an AOP in the Loire Valley that only makes dry white wines.
Melon de Bourgogne/Melon Blanc is the grape variety that goes into Muscadet AOP.
The grape Melon de Bourgogne can also be called ‘Muscadet’, just like the AOP.
In Muscadet, what is the alcohol level of most wines?
~12% ABV
All wines from the appellations in Muscadet have:
a. Low alcohol
b. Medium alcohol
c. High alcohol
Medium alcohol
How dry are Muscadet? (dry, off-dry, sweet)
dry
What does “Sur Lie” mean on a bottle of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie?
Sur Lie is a French word meaning “on the lees.”
Must be aged on its fine lees until the spring the year following harvest;
Lees give a bit of texture and a slight yeasty flavor to the wine.
The Nantais subregion produces mainly __(1)__ wine from the __(2)__ grape variety.
Bone dry white wine
Melon de Bourgogne grape variety
Melon de Bourgogne is also known as Melon Blanc
Rosé de Loire AOP wines are:
dry, off-dry, or sweet? made from which grapes? mainly produced in which sub-region?
Always dry;
A range of of grapes including min 30% of Cab Sauvignon and/or Cab Franc;
Mainly produced in Anjou.
Which is the predominant grape in Rosé d’Anjou?
Grolleau
It is usually blended with local grapes like Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Côt (Malbec), Gamay, Pineau d’Aunis.
What style of wine is produced in Cabernet d’Anjou AOP?
Still, medium-sweet rosés made from Cabernet Franc + Cabernet Sauvignon.
They must have minimum 10 g/L of residual sugar.
Of the still rosés produced in Anjou-Saumur, which one is the highest quality?
Cabernet d’Anjou
Rosés in the Loire Valley are made by using either of these techniques:
Direct pressing
Short skin maceration
What is the most widely grown white grape of the Touraine and Anjou subregions?
Chenin Blanc
What is the primary grape variety used for sweet wine in the Loire Valley?
Chenin Blanc
Is Chenin Blanc an age-worthy wine?
Yes,Chenin Blanc is extremely age worthy.
All styles of Chenin Blanc can be aged for years or decades thanks to its natural high acidity and potential for flavor development.
Which wine is dry and full bodied?:
Savennières AOP
Coteaux du Layon AOP
Savennières AOP
What style of wine is Coteaux du Layon?
Late harvest sweet wine
Is Coteaux du Layon on the north or south side of the Loire River?
What develops well here?
South side, where botrytis develops well.
Where is Quarts de Chaume located within the Loire Valley, and what style of wine does it make?
Within the borders of Coteaux du Layon AOP (Anjou subregion)
Where is Bonnezeaux AOP located and what is it known for?
Located within the Anjou subregion and is known for sweet white wines made from Chenin Blanc
What appellations in Loire are known for red wine made from Cabernet Franc?
Chinon (Touraine)
Bourgueil (Touraine)
Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (Touraine)
Saumur-Champigny (Saumur)
What is the grape in Vouvray AOP?
Chenin Blanc
Vouvray makes both ______ and _______ wines.
The soils in Vouvray are _____ based.
Still wines in Vouvray range from:
dry to off-dry
dry to medium-sweet
dry to luscious
Still and sparkling
Clay
Dry to luscious
Vouvray wines are:
rarely fermented or matured in new oak
often fermented or matured in new oak
Rarely fermented or matured in new oak
Chenin Blancs from Anjou AOP are sometimes, but not always, matured in ____.
Matured in new oak
How does the climate influence the style of the wine in Vouvray AOP?
While Vouvray has a Continental climate, it can receive strong Atlantic winds which affect the growing season and can cause vintage variation.
In cooler vintages, more sparkling wines will be made.
In warmer vintages with long/dry autumns, more still wines will be produced of varying sweetness levels
Which appellation will have less concentration and display a generally uncomplicated, more fruit-driven style of Sauvignon Blanc: Sancerre or Touraine?
Touraine
Touraine is a catch-all appellation that includes all of the Touraine appellations; it is not a specific, delimited appellation like Sancerre.
Name the most important AOPs of the Central Vineyards in the Loire Valley from west to east.
From west to east:
Menetou-Salon
Sancerre
Pouilly-Fumé
What are the weather threats in the Central Vineyards?
What is the principal white grape varieta
Spring frosts
Summer hail
Sauvignon Blanc
What styles of wine can be produced in Sancerre AOP?
Most Sancerre is still, dry white wine but reds and rosés are also made.
100% Sauvignon Blanc for white
100% Pinot Noir for red and rosé
Name a famous village in Sancerre.
Name the most famous vineyard in Sancerre.
Chavignol
Les Monts Damnés
What is the main soil type in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé?
Chalky, stony, well drained soil
What are some of the winemaking vessels used in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé?
Stainless steel (for fresh, fruity style)
Old oak
New oak (used by a few)
Is Sancerre an age-worthy wine?
When is it best to drink them?
There are exceptions to every rule, but generally Sancerre is not particularly age worthy. It is best drunk within 3 years of its harvest date.
The producers who have defied this rule and make age-worthy Sancerre include François Cotat, Domaine Vacheron, and Edmond Vatan.
Under what circumstances will Sauvignon Blanc undergo MLF?
In particularlycool vintages where the winemaker wants to balance or lower the acidity in their wines, or if the winemaker wants their style of Sauvignon Blanc to be broader with smoothed edges
What is the second-most planted red grape in the Loire Valley?
GAMAY
What is a quirky trait of Chenin Blanc?
Its berries ripen at different rates even within the same bunch.
This is why producers will have to make several passes in the vineyard so they harvest grapes at the correct ripeness.
Why is Cab Franc well suited for the Loire Valley?
It flowers and ripens early
Cab Franc grown in Touraine (Chinon, Bourgueil) generally comes in two different styles depending on the soils.
What are the soils and what are the styles?
Sandy soils = light, fruity, early-drinking reds
Limestone/clay soils = full-bodied, tannic styles from south-facing slopes
Cab Franc from Saumur-Champigny tends to be:
lighter in body + tannin
fuller in body + tannin
than Cab Francs from Touraine.
What are major differences between Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé?
Sancerre typically has a lean body and vibrant acidity, with refreshing and crisp citrusy flavors alongside notes of green grass.
Pouilly-Fumé boasts a medium body, with flavors leaning towards more stone fruits and apples, sometimes with floral or smoky notes
What is the major difference between Pouilly-Fumé AOP and Pouilly-sur-Loire AOP?
Pouilly-Fumé wines are made exclusively from Sauvignon Blanc, while Pouilly-sur-Loire only uses Chasselas grapes
Cour-Cheverny AOP uses a varietal you don’t see anywhere else in France. What is the varietal?
Romorantin
What style of wine is made in Saumur-Champigny AOP?
Name an iconic estate in this appellation.
The wines of Saumur Champigny are 100% red only. They come in two styles: light and fruity, with fine and velvety tannins, or more rich and complex, ready for ageing.
What harvest method is required in Coteaux du Layon AOP and Quarts de Chaume AOP?
Clos Cristal
Name the 2 unofficial grand crus of Savennières AOP (both of which were elevated to AOP status).
In what year were they elevated?
Roche-aux-Moines
Coulée de Serrant
2015
What is another name for Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley?
Pineau de la Loire
What are the soil types of the Touraine region?
The « bournaisperrucheux »: clay with flint soils, mixed with miocene sands.
The « perruches »: flinty clay soils.
The « aubuis »: clayey-limestone soils, stony, calcareous derivatives.
The « graviers »: or gravel, the soil of the valleys, lying on terraces made from old alluvial sediment.
