Loire

                                            Loire  

The Loire is one of the most diverse wine region in the world…

it is approx. 960 km long (OVER 600 MI.) Rising from the Massif in the South it flows over 140 km before the Central Vineyards, and on toward the Atlantic.  The river keeps the region a few precious degrees warmer and the warmest area is Touraine where some very good red wines are produced. The region also produces some of the greatest Sweet wines in the world!  There are several soil types and at least a dozen grape varieties.

The upper Loire area of Cote du Forez VDQS produces Red and Rosé from Gamay grapes.  The Cote Roannaise AC (upgraded in 1996) produces AOC red wine from Gamay. These areas are across from Beaujolais on the map. 

 Many producers are using the  Maceration Pelliculaire  or Cold Soak process to obtain more flavor in the white wines.

Grapes :

·     White

1.  Sauvignon Blanc

2.  Chassalas

3.  Chenin Blanc

4.  Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne)

5.  Gros Plant (Folle Blanche)

6.  Romorantin

7.  Chardonnay

8.  Malvoise

·     Red

1.  Cabernet Franc

2.  Cabernet Sauvignon

3.  Cot (Malbec)

4.  Pinot Noir

5.  Gamay

6.  Grolleau

7.  Pineau d’Aunis (Chenin Noir)

The 4 Main Loire Districts (with sub-districts)  :

·     Central Vineyards:

Pouilly-Sur-Loire – Chassalas

Sancerre

Pouilly Fume

Menetou-Salon

Reuilly

Quincy

·     Touraine:

Cheverny

Vouvray

Montlouis

Bourgueil / St.-Nicolas-Bourgueil

Chinon

Loir Valley :    1. Jasnières   2. Coteaux du Loir

·     Anjou:

Anjou

Saumur

Coteaux du Layon

Savennieres

Haut Poitou

·     Nantais:

1.  Muscadet

2.  Muscadet de Sevre-et-Maine,

3.  Muscadet Cotes de Grand-Lieu,  

4.  Muscadet des Coteaux de la Loire

        *VDQS Gros Plant 

*Coteaux d’ Ancenis

Central Vineyards

·      Pouilly-sur-Loire  (the best wines are of 100% Sauvignon Blanc) and is sold under these three ACs:

1.    Pouilly-Fumé AC

2.    Pouilly Blanc Fumé AC 

3.    Blanc Fumé de Pouilly

·       Pouilly-sur-Loire AC   wines are made from Chasselas grape  

·      Sancerre AC is made mostly from Sauvignon Blanc but a little red is made with Pinot Noir

·      Menetou-Salon AC  is a small area producing red/ rose from Pinot Noir and white from Sauvignon Blanc.

·      Quincy AC  This has only one AC and it is 100%  Sauvignon Blanc

·      Reuilly AC  produces Sauvignon Blanc white wines, red wines and great rosés from Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris

·      Orleans AC produces Red/Rose from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

·      Orleans-Clery AC produces dry red wine from Cabernet Franc

·      Chateaumiellant AC produces Red/Rose Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gamay

·      Coteaux de Giennois AC produces Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and Pinot Noir

Touraine  

The warmest district produces white, red and rose wines

·      Cheverny

Red/Rose: 40-65% Gamay, + Pinot Noir, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon (until 2000);

White:65-80% Sauvignon Blanc + Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Arbois;

Rose: min 50% Gamay + Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Pineau d'Aunis, Pinot Gris

·       Cour-Cheverny was upgraded in 1993 to AC status.

The white Cour-Cheverny white wine is made entirely from Romorantin grape.

·      Vouvray

A delimited district of Eight Communes

Well known for tufa sub-soil.  This white wine is made from Chenin Blanc grapes and can be a most raspingly acidic wine in cooler years.

    

The Vouvray wines are in three degrees of dryness:

1.    Dry (Sec)

2.    Semi dry (Moelleux)

3.    Sweet (Liquoreux)

And three Vouvray styles:

1.    Still

2.    Slightly Sparkling (Pétillant)

3.    Sparkling (Mousseaux) from Methode Traditional

·      Mountlouis  Directly across Loire River to the South from Vouvray (used to be sold as Vouvray)

Dry, semi-dry, sweet and sparkling from “method traditional” made from the Chenin Blanc grape.

·      Loir Valley    LOIR is pronounced    LOW - EAR

                                              i.     Jasnieres AC wines are made from Chenin Blanc and have steep south facing slopes

                                             ii.     Coteaux du Loir AC Red: min 30% Pineau d'Aunis+Gamay, Pinot Noir, CF, CS; White: CB; Rose: Pineau d'Aunis, CF, Gamay, Malbec + 25% Grolleau

                                           iii.     Coteaux Vendomois Red: min 30% Pineau d'Aunis+Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon;

White: Chenin Blanc + max 20% Chardonnay

Rose: Pineau d'Aunis + max 30% Gamay

·      Bourgueil  AC  &  St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AC

They produce red wines from Cabernet Franc

with up to 10% of Cabernet Sauvignon

·      Chinon AC  produces mainly red wine from Cabernet Franc with max 10% Cabernet Sauvignon some rose and a little Chenin Blanc

·      Valencay VDQS Red: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Gamay + 25% Gascon & Pinot d'Aunis, max 10% Gamay de Chaudonnay;

White: Arbois, SB, Chard, max 40% CB & Romorantin; Rose: CF, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Gamay + 25% Gascon & Pd'Aunis, max 15% Gamay tienturier de Chaudonnay

Anjou

·      Saumur   also has the Tufa sub-soil  and has an abundance of limestone caves. Produces still or sparkling wines from Chenin Blanc - and a max of 20%  Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc

o   Two Sparkling wine ACs : 

1.    Saumur d’Origine AC

2.      Crémant de Loire AC

·      Saumur-Champigny AC  red wine from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Pineau d’Aunis

·      Saumer-Petillant AC minimum 80% Chenin Blanc with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc

·      Savennières AC  plus two others:

1.    Savennières-Coulée-de-Serrant AC

2.    Savennières-La-Roche-aux-Moines AC

Savennières is a commune north of the river just south of Angers. The fine dry white wines from Chenin Blanc can take many years to reach maturity. The soil is very different than that of the surrounding area and thus the three ACs.  Nicolas Joly is a Biodynamic pioneer owns the Coulée-de-Serrant and La-Roche-aux-Moines sites.

·      Coteaux du Layon

Produces red,  rose, dry white and outstanding sweet white wines. The rose wines are sold under Anjou Rosé or Rosé de Cabernet.

§  The sweet white wines of these Coteaux du Layon ACs can be sold either demi-sec, moelleux or liquoreux

§  All the outstanding white dessert wine is made from Chenin Blanc, in good years they can be as glorious as the greatest Sauternes and ausleses of Germany.

·      Rosé-d’Anjou AC is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau, Gamay, Pineau d’Aunis (Chenin Noir) and Pinot Noir

·      Cabernet d’Anjou is made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc

·      Cabernet de Saumer is made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc

·      Rosé de Loire AC is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau, Gamay, Pineau d’Aunis (with  COT replacing Pinot Noir).  The sweeter versions are from Grolleau gave rose from the Loire a bad name.

·      Vins du Thouarsais VDQS Red/ Rose: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay; White: Chenin Blanc + max 20% Chardonnay

There are two quality vineyard areas for sweet wines with their own AC:

o  Bonnezeaux AC

o  Quarts du Chaume AC

 two additional ACs:

o  Coteaux du layon Chaume AC

o   Coteaux du Layon Villages AC

( 6 villages) can add their name to label :

1.    Beaulieu-sur-Layon

2.    Faye d’Anjou

3.    Rablay-sur-Layon

4.    Rochefort-sur-Loire

5.    St Aubin de Luignés

6.    St Lambert-du-Lattay

Nantais

The cold and wet area around the town of Nantes (close to the Atlantic Coast) has four AC areas:

1.    Muscadet AC

2.    Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AC

3.    Muscadet Cotes de Grand Lieu AC

4.    Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine AC (best)

o   The white wine from this region is from Muscadet. The local name is Melon de Bourgogne grape.

o    Aging requirements: On sediment for one winter, not bottled before 3rd week of March, or mid-October to mid-November for fuller bodied wines.  Bottled directly off its lees (no fining, filtering)

o   The wines may have a slightly “salty” or briny minerality at times, high acid and most are of  low to moderate quality and very light and thin.  Much improvement has been made in recent years and the wines are improving.

o   Sometimes these wines are sold under sur lie (which means they have been matured on their fine lees over the winter. This creates a richer and somewhat “yeasty” flavor, and a slight “prickle” to the wine. Some actually can be confused with Chablis if made well.

o   Other Areas of interest are:

                                              i.     VDQS Gros Plant du Pays Nantais (Folle Blanche grape)

                                             ii.     VDQS Coteaux d’Ancenis   Red/Rose: Cabernet Sauvingon, Cabernet Franc, Gamay max total 5% Gamay de Chaudenay and Gamay de Bouze; White: Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris

                                          iii.     VDQS Fiefs Vendeens  Red: Min 50% Gamay and Pinot   Noir, + Cabernet Sauvignon, Nefrette, max 15% Gamay de Chaudenay; White: min 50% Chenin Blanc, + Sauvingon, Chardonnay.  Max 20% Melon in Vix and Pissotte; max 30% Groslot Gris in Les Sables d'Olonne; Rose: Same as Red, except Max 30% Groslot Gris in Les Sables d'Olonne

Your Wine Dr.

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