Loire

The Loire Valley region stretches for about a hundred kilometers along the Loire River and gives rise to a remarkable diversity of wines, often offering excellent value for money. Here you'll find mostly light red wines and dry, off-dry, and sweet white wines. Delicious sparkling wines and sweet rosés, such as Cabernet d'Anjou , are also produced here.

Several grape varieties have achieved their full potential in this region. Melon de Bretagne is the grape of Muscadet , where it may be blended with Melon de Bourgogne. The more refined Chenin Blanc is planted in Touraine and Anjou , producing wines with excellent aging potential. Further east, Cabernet Franc reigns supreme, sometimes the dominant or even sole grape variety in the red wines from Saumur to Chinon ; it is occasionally blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Finally, Sauvignon Blanc finds remarkable expression in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, on soils that are mostly Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian limestone.

Sancerre

The village of Sancerre is located on the left bank of the Loire River . Pinot Noir is cultivated there to produce red and rosé wines, and Sauvignon Blanc is used to make Sancerre Blanc, a pale gold wine. The subsoil varies from place to place, and so does the structure of the wines. On clay-limestone soils, the wines are full-bodied and need time for their aromas to develop. On stony soils, the wines are lighter and their bouquet opens up more quickly. Finally, on flint soils, the wines are firm and structured. On the palate, the red wines echo the cherry and violet aromas suggested by the nose.
Although there is no official classification in Sancerre, there are very specific terroirs which are magnified by great winemakers such as Henri Bourgeois , Vacheron or Alphonse Mellot .

Pouilly Fumé

The Pouilly-Fumé appellation revolves around the village of Pouilly-sur-Loire , on the right bank of the Loire River, not far from Nevers. Here, almost everything is cultivated with Sauvignon Blanc . On the nose, Pouilly-Fumé is characterized by aromas of citrus, fern, and mint. Depending on the soil, the palate varies: flint soils produce structured wines, lees will yield a more elegant nectar with pronounced aromas that develop more quickly, while marl will produce firm wines with a slower evolution. In any case, this pale gold wine pairs wonderfully with seafood, poultry, fish, and local cheeses.

In Pouilly Fumé, Michel Redde produces very good wines, which after a few years of aging will express all the character of the terroir.

Chinon

The Chinon appellation lies between the Loire and Vienne rivers. Three grape varieties are cultivated there: Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for red and rosé wines, and Chenin Blanc (or Pineau de la Loire) for white wines. Chinon red has a ruby ​​color, a fruity nose and palate, and fine tannins. The rosé is also fruity, both on the nose and palate, with floral aromas as well. Chinon white , pale gold in color, evokes citrus on the nose and is very fresh on the palate; it pairs beautifully with river fish, for example.

Domaine Fabrice Gasnier produces excellent Chinon wines using biodynamic methods.

The flagship vintages of the Loire

In the Loire Valley, 2014, 2010, and 2009 were excellent vintages for red wines. The great vintages for dry white wines from this region are 2014 and 2008, while 2015, 2010, and 2009 are preferred for sweet white wines.
While global warming is generally a favorable factor for the ripening of Cabernet Francs and Gamays, the last few years have been synonymous with climatic catastrophe in Vouvray, Montlouis and Chinon between 2012 and 2016. On the other hand, the 2016 vintage will be famous in Sancerre and in its neighbor Pouilly Fumé .