Wset - the Loire Valley

Question 1

How many sub-regions can the Loire Valley loosely be grouped into? and which are they?

Answer 1

4
the central vineyards
touraine
anjou-saumur
nantais

Question 2

in which “sub region” is rosé de Loire and Crémant focused in? and what character does these wine have?

Answer 2

Anjou and Saumur
they are typically straight forward and display freshness, alight body and simple fruit

Question 3

What climate can you find in the Loire Valley?

Answer 3

overall the climate is cool, but the central vineyards, which are well inland have a continental climate whereas the Nantais region, with it’s coastal location, experiences a maritime climate.

Question 4

Which are the most important grape varieties in the Loire Valley?

Answer 4

Sauvignon Blanc
Chenin Blanc
Melon Blanc

Cabernet Franc
Gamay
(Pinot Noir)

Question 5

Which are the most prestigious appellations for Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire Valley, and in which sub region can we find these?

Answer 5

Sancerre
Pouilly-Fumé
in the Central Vineyards area.

Question 6

How’s the vineyards located in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé?

Answer 6

on well-drained, stoney, limestone-based soils.

Question 7

What’s the characteristics for a wine from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé?
and how can you tell them apart?

Answer 7

they tend to be dry, high in acidity, with hints of green apple and wet stones
the wines from Pouilly-Fumé have a subtle smokey notes, from the soil: silex.
mostley wines NOT for ageing

Question 8

Name one important villages and one important vineyard in Sancerre, and what’s special about them?

Answer 8

village: Chavignol
vineyard: Les Monts Damnés
they tend to produce wines that are able to evolve in the bottle.

Question 9

Which are the most common winemaking techniques used for Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire Valley?

Answer 9

Gentle pneumatic pressing and temperatyre-controlled stainless steel vats are used to create fresh, fruity wines.
Some producers ferment and mature in old oak vessels and keep the wines on the lees to give them a broader texture. Few uses new oak.

Question 10

When would a producer use mlf for a Sauvignon Bland?

Answer 10

it depends on the style of wine the winemaker wants to create, and is most likely to be encouraged in cooler vintages in order to lower the acidity of the wine.

Question 11

Sauvignon Blanc is also produced in a number of appellations to the southh-west of Sancerre, which is the most important appellation here?

Answer 11

Menetou-Salon

Question 12

Where’s the majority of Sauvignon Blanc produced in the Loire Valley?

Answer 12

from the Touraine region.

Question 13

What’s a Sauvignon Blanc called from the Touraine region? and what’s the characteristics of these wines?

Answer 13

there’s a generic appellation that covers the whole of the Touraine region, such as “Sauvignon Blanc de Touraine”
They often have less concentrations than those from the more prestigious appellations, and are usually made in a simple fruity style.

Question 14

Where in the Loire Valley can you find Chenin Blanc?

Answer 14

Touraine
Anjou-Saumur

Question 15

Which different styles of Chenin Blanc can you find in the Loire Valley? And which ripeness level does the grape usually have for the different styles of wines?

Answer 15

Dry to sweet
Still or sparkling

barely ripe fruit is usually used for sparkling
increasingly ripe berries, including noble rot are used fordry, medium and sweet styles of still wine.

Question 16

What character does a young Chenin Blanc have?
dry or sweet?

Answer 16

young wines can vary from fresh apple through to tropical fruit, depending on the ripeness of the grape.
The dry wines can also have steely, smoký character and the sweet wines often have the apricot and citrus peel flavours of noble rot.

Question 17

How long “can” a Chenin age for?

Answer 17

for decades
with age they become richer and rounder and develop aromas os honey, toast and hay. It will balance well with the high acidity common to all these wines.

Question 18

Where’s Vouvray located?

Answer 18

to the east of the city of Tours in Touraine

Question 19

What’s the climate and the soils like in Vouvray? and what’s the style of wine produced?

Answer 19

it’s cool climate with clay soils.
the still wines range in style from dry to sweet depending on the vintage.
the vouvray wines tends to be light to medium in body, fresh fruity and floral notes.
rarely fermented or matured in new oak.

Question 20

What’s Saumur known for?

Answer 20

a source of sparkling chenin blanc made by the traditional method.

Question 21

What’s Anjou known for?

Answer 21

dry wines, that are sometimes matured in new oak.

Question 22

Which two areas are located towards the Anjou-Saumur?

Answer 22

Savennières and Coteaux de Layon

Question 23

What does Savennières produce?

Answer 23

Full-bodied Chenin Blanc, typically in a dry style
There’s good air cirulation so stop the development of noble rot, but enables late-harvest Chenin grapes.

Question 24

What deos Coteaux du Layon produce?

Answer 24

makes some of the most renowned sweet wines in the region.
Located in the sheltered valley of the River Layon, where noble rot develops well.

Question 25

Name the two most favoured sites in Coteaux du Layon?

Answer 25

Quarts de Chaume
Bonnezeaux

Question 26

Muscadet has two other names that’s also used in the Loire Valley, which?

Answer 26

Melon Blanc
Melon de Bourgogne

Question 27

Why’s Melon Blanc well suited for the cool climate?

Answer 27

because it ripens early and is frost-resistant.

Question 28

Where’s the majority of Melon Blanc grown in the Loire Valley?

Answer 28

in the Nantais region.

Question 29

There’s two different appellations usually used for Melon Blanc, which and what’s the difference between them?

Answer 29

Muscadet - covers the widest area
Muscadet (Sèvre et Maine) Sur Lie - the highly regarded appellation, the greatest production

Question 30

What’s the typical characteristics for a wine under the appellation Muscadet?

Answer 30

dry, medium alc.
high acidity, light body, subtle green fruit flavours.
traditionally fermented in large old oak vessles, but now concreate or stainless steel vats are more common.
drunken young

Question 31

What’s the typical characteristics for a wine under the appellation Muscadet (Sèvre et Maine) Sur Lie?

Answer 31

spent the winter on it’s lees, which gives the wines a richer texture. the wine is handled very little, to retain delicacy and freshness.

Question 32

Where can you find Cabernet Franc from in the Loire Valley?

Answer 32

In Touraine - Chinon and Bourgueil
Saumur - Saumur-Champigny

Question 33

What’s the typical characteristics for a Cabernet Franc from Chinon or Bourgueil?

Answer 33

Light, fruit wines for early drinking, tend to come from sandy soils, whereas fuller-bodied, more tannic versions come from south-facing slopes with limestone and clay soils.
Some choose to mature in oak
the best wines have capacity to evolve in bottle.

Question 34

What’s the typical characteristics for a Cabernet Franc from Saumur-Champigny?

Answer 34

a lighter-bodied style that tends to be best drunk young.
floral (violet) character.
Some, more and more, make full-bodied, more tannic style, suitable for ageing.

Question 35

Which is the second most planed black grape variety in the Loire Valley, and where is it mainly planted?

Answer 35

Gamay.
in Touraine and Anjou

Question 36

What’s the characteristics for a Gamay from the loire valley?

Answer 36

fruity, usually early drinking.

Question 37

Where in the Loire Valley is Rosé mainly produced?

Answer 37

In Anjou-Saumur, with significant amounts also made in Touraine

Question 38

What’s the most common appellation for a rosé from the Loire Valley? And what’s the characteristics?

Answer 38

Rosé de Loire.
Can be produced from both Anjou-Saumur and Touraine.
Can be made from a range of grape varieties including Cab. Franc and Cab. Sauv.

Question 39

Anjou-Saumur has two appellations for different styles of Rosé, which two and what’s the differnece?

Answer 39

Cabernet d’Anjou - highest quality, medium-dry to medium sweet. both Cab Franc, and Cab. Sauv.

Rosé d’Anjou - less sweet, made predominantly of Grolleau, blended with Cab. Franc and other local grape varieties.

Question 40

What’s a Sancerre Rosé made of, and what’s it’s characteristics?

Answer 40

Must be made from Pinot Noir
pale in colour, light body, dry with delicate fruit flavours.

Question 41

What’s the characteristics of a rosé from Touraine?

Answer 41

made from a wide array of black grape varieties and are generally dry, fresh and fruity in style.