The Loire Valley Flashcards
What is the climate of the Pays Nantais?
Cool maritime.
Cool spring, warm and humid summer.
What are the main natural risks for the Pays Nantais?
Rain at anytime through the growing season, especially March/April and September.
Spring frost.
How do Pay Nantais growers combat spring frost?
Wind machines, heaters and burning straw bales.
What year did frost caused a seeious problem in Pays Nanatis?
1991
What are the key characteristics of the Melon grape?
Hardy variety.
Early budding and early ripening.
High yielding.
Prone to downy mildew and botrytis bunch rot.
What is the style of Pay Nantais wine from Melon?
High acidity, medium alcohol, light body, low intensity, green apple, added body and texture from sur lie if applicable.
Acceptable to good.
Inexpensive to mid-priced.
In Pays Nantais, what types of vineyard management techniques are deployed?
Canopy management to faciliate ripeness and prevent fungal diseases in such marginal and hunid climate.
Leaf removal but careful about sunburn.
Harvest timinig for rioeness if skins and seeds.
What is are the typical types if vessels used in the production if Muscadet?
Large shallow underground glass lined concrete vat.
Stainless steel also used.
Do the use chaptalisation and MLC in Muscadet?
Yes to chaptalisation in cooler years.
No to MLC as fresh acidity and primary fruits are desired.
What are some Muscadet producers doing to raise the profile of the region’s wines?
Experimenting with techniques such as skin contact and fermentation in barrel, amphora ir concrete eggs.
Describe the sur lie process in Pays Nantais
After the fermentation, one racking to remove gross lees.
Wines remain in contact with fine lees through winter and until bottled.
Adds body and texture ti a very light bodied wine.
May also retain small amount of CO2.
What are the max yields for wines of Pays Nantais?
Moderate, with likes if Muscadet Sevre et Maine AOC sur lie slightly lower.
When must sur lie wines be bottles?
Between 1st March and 30th November of year after harvest.
What are the main appellations of Pays Nantais?
Musacdet AOC
Muscadet Sevre et Maine AOC
Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC
Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu AOC
What are Muscadet cru communaux?
Ten defined ares in Pays Nantais where their names can be added to the label. E.g. Muscadet Sevre et Maine SOC Clisson.
Low max yields.
Kept on lees for at least 18 months so sur lee can’t be used due to bottling period stipulated for sur lie.
What is the main route to market fir Pay Nantais wines?
Negociants, the accoubt for over 50% of sales.
How muxh of Pay Nantais wines are exported?
15%
What caused the big drop in demand for Muscadet in the UK in 1990s?
What has the region done in recent years to recover?
Forst of 1991 reduced production by 2/3, pushing up prices. At the same time new world wines such as Australian wines started to become popular.
Reposition itself as terroir specific wines with high quality and value for money.
What are the top 4 grapes in Anjou-Saumur?
Cabernet Franc
Chenin Blanc
Grolleau Noir
Cabernet Sauvignon
What are the top 4 grapes of Touraine?
Cabernet Franc
Chenin Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc
Gamay
What is the climate of Anjou-Saumur?
Cool maritime but less than that of Pays Nantais.
Adequate rainfall for viticulture but rains throughout the year.
What is the climate of Touraine?
Cool continental with cold winters and warm summers.
Adequate rainfall but throughout the year.
What are the natural factors impacting Anjou-Saumur?
River Layon and other tributaries in Anjou create misty conditions enabling botrytis-affected wines.
What are the main soils of Anjou-Saumur and Touraine?
Wide range, clay-limestone, flint-clay, sand, gravel and tuff.
More schist and limestone in Anjou.
More chalk in Touraine.
What is the main character of the choice rootstocks in Anjou-Saumur and Touraine?
Tolerance to chlorosis as soils often have high lime content.
What are the main characters of Chenin Blanc?
Early budding and late ripening.
Vigourous.
Prone to powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot and trunk disease.
Ripens unevenly so multiple passes at harvest.
What is the general style of dry and off-dry Chenin Blanc wines of Anjou-Saumur and Touraine?
High acidity, medium alcohol, medium intensity, green apple, lemon, sometimes a steely and smoky character.
Good to very good.
Inexpensive to mid-priced.
Some outstanding and premium priced (Domaine Huet).
What are the key characteristics of Cabernet Franc?
Early budding and mid-ripening like Merlot.
Prone to coulure.
Can taste overly leafy if not fully ripened.
Winter hardy.
What is the general style of Cabernet Franc from middle Loire?
High acidity, medium tannins, medium alcohol, light to medium body, medium to pronounced intensity, red fruits like redcurrant and raspberry, violet, can have leafy notes.
Comment in Grolleau Noir
Early budding and mid-ripening like Merlot.
Prone to botrytis bunch rot.
Mainly used in rosé blends (Rosé d’Anjou and Rosé de Loire).
What are the main winemaking techniques for Chenin Blanc in middle Loire?
Cool to mid fermentation temperatures.
Typically large old oak or stainless steel.
No MLC.
Aged in neutral vessels for primary fruits.
What are the main winemaking techniques for Cabernet Franc of middle Loire?
Crushed and ferment in concrete or old wood vessels.
Punching down and/or pump over.
Many prefer ambient yeasts.
Aged in used oak or varying sizes, main aim to retain primary fruits.
Some more expensive ones use a proportion of new French barriques.
What are the main winemaking techniques for middle Loire rosés?
Mainly Direct pressing but some short maceration.
Short ageing in neutral vessels for 3-4 months.
Name the three regional appellations of middle Loire
Anjou AOC
Saumur AOC
Touraine AOC
Comment on Anjou AOC
Moderate max yields.
Reds and whites.
Dominant grapes are: Chenin Blance (white) Cabernet Franc (rosé) Cabernet Franc (red)
Anjou Villages AOC for higher quality reds.
Many good producers opt to use Vin de France.
If Chenin grapes fail to develop botrytis in Coteaux du Layon AOC wines, what may producers do?
Grapes may be dried in the vine.
Name AOCs with stricter rules and regulations in the geographical area of Coteaux du Layon
Bonnezeaux AOC
Quarts de Chaume AOC (first grand cru)
Coteaux du Layon AOC Chaume (first premier cru)
What are teh max yields for Coteaux du Layon?
Low bwteen 20 to 35 hL/ha
What is the typical style of Coteaux du Layon?
Sweet, high acidity, medium alcohol, medium (+) body, pronounced intensity, cooked citrus, apple, honey.
Good to very good.
Mid-priced to premium.
With the general low demand for sweet wines, what have producers in Coteaux du Layon been doing?
Lowered volumes of sweet wines and increase volumes of dry wines.
What are the key points for Savennieres AOC?
Small but prestigious.
Full dry Chenin Blanc.
South faving slops with low fertility rocky schist soils.
Low/moderate max yields.
Very high acidity and can reach high alcohol.
Some premium cuvees using a proportionnof new oak barrels.
Historically austere in youth and needed years in bottle but now wines are concentrated and approachable.
Name the two small AOCs in Savennieres where max yields is very low.
Savennieres La Roche aux Moines
Coulee de Serrant
What are the grapes behind Rose de Loire AOC, sweetness level and max yields?
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau Noir and Gamay.
Dry.
Moderate yields.
Comment in Rose d’Anjou AOC?
Mainly from Grolleau but can use Cabernets, Cot and Gamay.
Moderate max yields.
Most popular rose AOC.
Medium dry, medium pink orange, Medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, medium intensity, red berry fruit.
Acceptable to good, some very good.
Inexpensive to mid-priced.
Comment in rose appellation Cabernet d’Anjou AOC
Medium dry wines in medium pink colour.
Cabernet grapes.
Moderate max yields.
What wines are allowed under Saumur AOC and max yields?
White (Chenin)
Red (Cab Franc)
Rose (Cabernets)
Moderate max yields
Comment in Coteaux de Saumur
Sweet wines from Chenin grapes.
Over ripe grapes with or without botrytis.
Low max yields.
What wines are made under Saumur-Champigny AOC?
Red wines mainly from Cabernet Franc grapes with moderate max yields.
Pale ruby, high acidity, medium tannins, medium alcohol, medium to medium (+) intensity, redcurrant, sometimes leafy.
Good to very good.
Inexpensive to mid-priced.
What are the soils of Saunur-Champigny?
Chalk, flint and clay.
Good drainage along with good water retention.
What wines can be produced under Touraine AOC and with what grapes? Also max yields?
Red, white and rose.
Mainly Cabernet Franc, Cot and Gamay.
Mainly Sauvignon Blanc.
Moderate max yields.
Name a Touraine AOC subzone?
Touraine AOC Amboise, which uses Chenin.
Slightly lower max yields to Touraine AOC.
Comment on Vouvray AOC
Sweet, off dry and dry wines from Chenin Blanc.
Moderate max yields.
Best sites overlooking the Loire with flinty, clay and limestone soils.
Further away from the river, more clay so harder to ripen.
Sweet wines rare compared to Anjou.
Where is the Montlouis-sur-Loire AOC and it’s similarities with Vouvray?
Opposite Vouvray on the other aide of the Loire, so south bank.
Use same grape, similar wines and same max yields.
Name the top 3 red wine AOCs of Touraine, what soil types?
Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Chinon.
Sand - lightest wines.
gravel.
clay-limestone - most structured and long lived.
What is the main difference between Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil in terms of style?
Lighter in style and mainly from Cab Franc.
Comment on Chinon AOC?
White wines also made (from Chenin), some rosé too.
Moderate max yields, many have lower yields for higher quality.
Red styles from lighter with short maceration to structured and more powerful with lonher maceration.
Good to very good.
Inexpensiveto mid-priced, some premium.
Which Anjou-Saumur AOCs can rose be produced?
Rose d’Anjou
Rose de Loire
Cabernet d’Anjou
Saumur
Which Touraine AOCs can rose be made?
Touraine
Bourgueil
Chinon
Which type of wine is the most important in Anjou-Saumur?
Rose
By production volume, which type of wine is the highest in Touraine?
Red
How much of Anjou-Saumur and Touraine wines are exported?
20%
What is the climate of Central Vineyards?
Cool continental, cold winters and warm summers.
Long growing day lengths, low light intensity and low heats lead to restrained wines.
High rainfall for continental, risk of fungal diseases but no issues with drought.
What are the main natural risks in Cenyral Vineyards?
Summer hailstorms.
Spring frosts.
What are the key characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc?
Late budding and early ripening.
Vigorous.
Prone to powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot and trunk diseases. If cordin trained also eutypa dieback.
What is yhe typical style of Sauvignon Blanc from the Central Vineyards?
High acidity, medium alcohol, mesium body, pronounced intensity, grass, green bell pepper, asparagus, gooseberry, grapefruit, wet stones. In warmer areas riper passion fruit.
For Sauvignon Blanc harvesting in the Central Vineyards, what do growers have to balance/judge?
Getting optimum ripeness, but before acidity drops with flavours becoming over-ripe.
What is teh share of planting for Sauvignon Blanc in the Central Vineyards?
70%
In terms of viticulture in the Central Vineyards for Sauvignon Blanc, what is important?
Row orientation and canopy management.
What are the notable winemaking techniquesfor Sauvignon Blanc of the Central Vineyards?
Upper part of cool and lower end if mid-range fermentation temperatures for more restrained expression versus nee world wines.
MLC normally blocked but some so it for style.
Higher quality wine might use Some old oak to fill out the body but no oak flavors.
Name a producer in the Central Vienyards that use extensive lees work for long ageing wines
Henri Bourgeois
Which is the largest appellation in the Central Vineyards?
Sancerre AOC
Which variety dominated plantings in Sancerre before phylloxera?
Pinot Noir
Which variety from the Central Vineyards gained their success via Paris, France then the rest if the world?
Sauvignon Blanc
What are the moderating factors in Sancerre?
Steep hillside slopes
River
Nearby forest
What are the max yields of Sancerre?
Moderate max yields
What is the typical style of white Sancerre?
High acidity, medium alcohol, medium intensity, grapefruit, gooseberry.
Good to outstanding.
Mid-priced to premium, some super premium.
What are the soil types in Sancerre?
Cailottes - very shallow soils over limestone. Wines are normally the most aromatic and less ageing potential.
Terre Blanches - limestone and marl, Slows ripening. Most structured wines, need long maturation and age well.
Silex - flinty soils that accumulate heat, so lead to early ripening. Wines with stony and smoky aromas.
What arevthe main differences between the two AOCs Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé?
Pouily-Fume only Sauvignon Blanc.
Flatter land so high risk of frost (wind machines popular).
Pouilly-Fume a little rounder and less aromatic. Also needs more time in bottle to start showing.
Comment on Reuilly AOC
White, red and rose (Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris).
Morderate max yields.
Apart from Sauvignon Blanc, which other grape isnused to produce white wines in Quincy AOC?
Sauvignon Gris.
Without cru system in the Central Vineyards, how have producers created quality differentiators?
Individual vineyards.
E.g. Les Belles Dames in Sancerre.
What are the main differences between Sancerre and Menetou-Salon?
More gentle slopes so more vulnerable to frosts.
What is the general quality and price of Reuilly, Menetou-Salon and Quincy?
Good to very good.
Inexpensive to mid-priced.
Through which organisation do the appellations of the Central Vienyards promote themselves together?
BIVC
In the Loire Valley, whats been the evolutions/changes when it comes to family owned businesses and French investments outside of the area?
Family owned businesses continue to be key with many estates that can trace back many generations of vine growing and wine making.
A steady flow of people opting for a chnage of city life (Paris etc) to wine production.
What are the main routes to market for the Loire Valley overall?
50% negociants (top 10 = 82%)
41% estate
Under 10% co-operatives
In the Loire Valley, have the lines between negociants and estates blurred similar to Bordeaux and Burgundy?
Yes.
Recent frosts and hail damaged accelerated family estates ti establish a negociant arm to their business. This was to avoid severe financial peoblems with severely reduced crops.
How much of Loire wines are exported and which markets are key?
20%
USA, UK and Germany.
For Loire AOC wines sold domestically, what are their main sales channels?
Specialist wine retail and hospital (44%)
Supermarkets (36%)
Which AOC/sub-region in the Loire Valley outperforms all others in still wines in terms of export volume abd value?
Sancerre AOC
Name one of the many advocates of organic and biodynamic vine growing from the Loire Valley
Nicolas Joly
Why the total production of ceryified organic wine in Loire is below the French average even though is a centre if natural wine making as well as organic and biodynamic vine growing?
Cool and damp nature of the climate.
