The Luminous Wines of France’s Loire Valley
The Loire Valley is renowned for delicious, mouth-watering wines, with refreshing acidity, moderate alcohol, persistent fruit flavors not cloaked in oak, a mineral vein, and a long finish, all at lower prices. Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Muscadet, and Cabernet Franc are the star grape varietals, taking on distinct personalities from the different soils and climates that wind along both sides of the Loire River. It’s a varied and complex region, from the Atlantic Ocean to north central France, with many of the wines a perfect partner for seafood.
Exhilarating sparkling wines, racy whites, refreshing rosés, fragrant reds, and opulent sweet wines, produced by over 4000 wineries, make up the wine bouquet from this “Garden of France”. The Loire Valley is made up of five distinct wine regions, each home to specific grape varietals that take on distinct personalities from the different village terroirs. It’s a cornucopia of delights, fascinating wines that taste of the sea and the soil.
Following the Loire River on its east-west journey from northeast France to the Atlantic Ocean, the Upper Loire Valley is home to wines of the Central Loire, famous for its Sauvignon Blanc, finding its greatest expression in the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume AOPs. Although a few red wines are made here, it’s really all about the world-class whites, zesty, full of citrus and chalky minerality.
The Middle Loire consists of three distinct areas, and produces the most diverse number of wines.
The Lower Loire is defined by one region, the Pays Nantais. At the juncture of three rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean, it’s all about lean white wines, citrusy, mineral and saline, made from Muscadet. These inexpensive brisk wines are perfect with fresh oysters.
Loire Valley Wines came to LA this Spring, conducting a “Spring to Loire” tasting for the media and trade. In addition to the many distributors and producers pouring their wines, the two anchor grapes of the Loire, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, were explored in depth by Sommelier/Wine Educator Chris Lavin in two seminars. “Chenin Blanc: Sparkling to Sweet” looked at four wines that illustrated the many styles of this chameleon grape, a sparkling Vouvray, a dry Savennières, a demi-sec Vouvray, and a sweet Côteaux du Layon. “Cabernet Franc: The King of Reds” tasted through four wines, a funky rustic Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil, a complex aromatic Saumur, a richer and structured Chinon, and an aged, earthy Chinon.
A closer look at these two varietals reveals the beauty of wines from the Loire Valley:
Chenin Blanc is a shape shifter in the world of wine, expressing itself in an array of white wines, from bone dry to medium sweet, crisp sparkling bubbles to luscious nectar. Vouvray Chenins are traditionally medium-sweet; Savennières Chenins are typically bright and crisp; Côteaux du Layon Chenins are among the world's most prized sweet wines, and the sparkling Chenins of Saumur are perfumed and delicious. Chenin's ability to age, because of the grape's naturally high acidity, allows it to assume the style of the winemakers' desire. Chenin Blanc pairs well with a wide range of foods, since it comes in so many different styles. The crisp and mineral wines go well with grilled seafood, salads, or chicken; the medium-dry styles are excellent with cream sauces and rich dishes like pate, while the sweeter wines offset the spicy heat of Asian and Hispanic dishes, and delight with apple or pear desserts.
Cabernet Franc is savory and herbaceous, and while used in Bordeaux blends, it makes a fabulous single varietal wine in the Loire, where it is also known as “Breton”. Cabernet Franc’s alluring perfume reveals a spicy acidity and moderate tannins. These medium-bodied, fragrant, red-fruited wines, with floral and vegetal notes, can be complex or easy-drinking. Bourgueil Cab Francs are more fruity and floral, while Chinon Cab Francs have a deep, spicy, dark fruit character. Cabernet Franc pairs well with roasted meats, poultry, tomato-based dishes, cheese, herbs, and vegetables.
Some of my highlights of the tasting:
Domaine Vincent Carême “Le Clos” 2010 ($32) - organic, biodynamic single vineyard Chenin Blanc from 60 year old vines, superb, made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2015
Clos du Gaimont Vouvray 2014 ($16.99) - textured Chenin Blanc, aged 3 months in Cognac barrels
Domaine Paul Buisse Touraine 2015 ($12.99) - incredible Sauvignon Blanc for the price
Les Clissages d’Or Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2013 ($15.99) - textured wine
Domaine Grosbois “La Cuisine de ma Mère” 2014 ($16.99) - vibrant and fruity Cabernet Franc
Chateau de Brézé Clos Mazurique 2012 ($18.99) - fragrant Cabernet Franc, dark fruit, pencil lead, tobacco leaf, leather, violet, herbal, mineral, forest floor, a lot going on for under $20
Chateau Tour Grise
Seek out wines from the Loire Valley, truly a garden of delights, fabulous wines at incredible values!
The Loire Valley is renowned for delicious, mouth-watering wines, with refreshing acidity, moderate alcohol, persistent fruit flavors not cloaked in oak, a mineral vein, and a long finish, all at lower prices. Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Muscadet, and Cabernet Franc are the star grape varietals, taking on distinct personalities from the different soils and climates that wind along both sides of the Loire River. It’s a varied and complex region, from the Atlantic Ocean to north central France, with many of the wines a perfect partner for seafood.
Exhilarating sparkling wines, racy whites, refreshing rosés, fragrant reds, and opulent sweet wines, produced by over 4000 wineries, make up the wine bouquet from this “Garden of France”. The Loire Valley is made up of five distinct wine regions, each home to specific grape varietals that take on distinct personalities from the different village terroirs. It’s a cornucopia of delights, fascinating wines that taste of the sea and the soil.
Following the Loire River on its east-west journey from northeast France to the Atlantic Ocean, the Upper Loire Valley is home to wines of the Central Loire, famous for its Sauvignon Blanc, finding its greatest expression in the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume AOPs. Although a few red wines are made here, it’s really all about the world-class whites, zesty, full of citrus and chalky minerality.
The Middle Loire consists of three distinct areas, and produces the most diverse number of wines.
- Touraine makes world-renowned Chenin Blanc in all its incarnations (think of Vouvray), savory and spicy Cabernet Franc from Chinon and Bourgueil, and structured dry rosé wines.
- Saumur is sparkling wine central, with almost ten grape varietals used to make a variety of wines that reflect the limestone soils of the area. Spicy Cabernet Franc, dry and late harvest Chenin Blanc, and rosé wines are also found here.
- Anjou is all about Rosé, in fact rosé wines of Cabernet Franc and Grolleau account for almost half of this region’s production. But within the Anjou region, the Savennières AOP makes some of the most fascinating Chenin Blanc in the world, floral, mineral, and nutty, while the Côteaux du Layon AOP is renowned for its honeyed Chenin Blanc wines. Sparkling wines come from Anjou, also, blending the many grapes that grow here.
The Lower Loire is defined by one region, the Pays Nantais. At the juncture of three rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean, it’s all about lean white wines, citrusy, mineral and saline, made from Muscadet. These inexpensive brisk wines are perfect with fresh oysters.
Loire Valley Wines came to LA this Spring, conducting a “Spring to Loire” tasting for the media and trade. In addition to the many distributors and producers pouring their wines, the two anchor grapes of the Loire, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, were explored in depth by Sommelier/Wine Educator Chris Lavin in two seminars. “Chenin Blanc: Sparkling to Sweet” looked at four wines that illustrated the many styles of this chameleon grape, a sparkling Vouvray, a dry Savennières, a demi-sec Vouvray, and a sweet Côteaux du Layon. “Cabernet Franc: The King of Reds” tasted through four wines, a funky rustic Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil, a complex aromatic Saumur, a richer and structured Chinon, and an aged, earthy Chinon.
A closer look at these two varietals reveals the beauty of wines from the Loire Valley:
Chenin Blanc is a shape shifter in the world of wine, expressing itself in an array of white wines, from bone dry to medium sweet, crisp sparkling bubbles to luscious nectar. Vouvray Chenins are traditionally medium-sweet; Savennières Chenins are typically bright and crisp; Côteaux du Layon Chenins are among the world's most prized sweet wines, and the sparkling Chenins of Saumur are perfumed and delicious. Chenin's ability to age, because of the grape's naturally high acidity, allows it to assume the style of the winemakers' desire. Chenin Blanc pairs well with a wide range of foods, since it comes in so many different styles. The crisp and mineral wines go well with grilled seafood, salads, or chicken; the medium-dry styles are excellent with cream sauces and rich dishes like pate, while the sweeter wines offset the spicy heat of Asian and Hispanic dishes, and delight with apple or pear desserts.
Cabernet Franc is savory and herbaceous, and while used in Bordeaux blends, it makes a fabulous single varietal wine in the Loire, where it is also known as “Breton”. Cabernet Franc’s alluring perfume reveals a spicy acidity and moderate tannins. These medium-bodied, fragrant, red-fruited wines, with floral and vegetal notes, can be complex or easy-drinking. Bourgueil Cab Francs are more fruity and floral, while Chinon Cab Francs have a deep, spicy, dark fruit character. Cabernet Franc pairs well with roasted meats, poultry, tomato-based dishes, cheese, herbs, and vegetables.
Some of my highlights of the tasting:
Domaine Vincent Carême “Le Clos” 2010 ($32) - organic, biodynamic single vineyard Chenin Blanc from 60 year old vines, superb, made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2015
Clos du Gaimont Vouvray 2014 ($16.99) - textured Chenin Blanc, aged 3 months in Cognac barrels
Domaine Paul Buisse Touraine 2015 ($12.99) - incredible Sauvignon Blanc for the price
Les Clissages d’Or Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2013 ($15.99) - textured wine
Domaine Grosbois “La Cuisine de ma Mère” 2014 ($16.99) - vibrant and fruity Cabernet Franc
Chateau de Brézé Clos Mazurique 2012 ($18.99) - fragrant Cabernet Franc, dark fruit, pencil lead, tobacco leaf, leather, violet, herbal, mineral, forest floor, a lot going on for under $20
Chateau Tour Grise
- 2004 Sparkling Chenin Blanc ($24) - 100% Chenin, aged for 10 years on its lees, excellent
- “Chenin Noir” 2014 ($20) - very interesting, earthy, peppery notes, crisp, different
- “Signature” NV ($15.99) - sparkling Chenin Blanc, round, delicious, yeasty notes
- “Excellence” Brut Rosé NV ($16.99) - sparkling Cabernet Franc
- Crémant de Loire NV ($25) - sparkling Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, great nose, with a touch of sweetness
- Sancerre 2014 ($27) - Sauvignon Blanc, great nose, high acidity
- Savennières 2013 (2013) - Chenin Blanc
- “Clos du Papillon” 2010 ($45) - single vineyard Chenin Blanc, great nose, beautiful body, high acidity, and long finish, 2009 tasted in seminar, excellent with a smoky minerality, rich and round
- “Le Logis” 2014 ($19) - Cabernet Franc
- Quarts de Chaume - stunning sweet Chenin Blanc wine that can live for decades
Seek out wines from the Loire Valley, truly a garden of delights, fabulous wines at incredible values!