Loire Valley Study Guide

Table of Contents
1. The Loire Valley
2. Pays Nantais
3. Anjou-Saumur
4. Touraine
5. The Central Vineyards
6. Other Appellations of Central France
7. Review Quizzes

The Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river and the last wild river in Europe. On its meandering 629-mile path
from its headwaters in the Massif Central to its mouth on the Atlantic Coast, the Loire River nurtures a
number of distinct wine regions that defy easy categorization.

The most notable appellations exist in a nearly unbroken chain from Pays Nantais on the Atlantic
Coast to the Central Vineyards of the Upper Loire, which stand at the exact geographical center of
France. The Loire Valley, or Jardin de la France, is a patchwork of agriculture, history, and natural
beauty. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 2000.

Winemaking in the Loire dates to at least the first century CE. Viticulture in Touraine was chronicled in
the sixth century, and Chenin Blanc may have appeared by 845 just south of Angers, although
conclusive evidence of the grape's presence in the Loire Valley does not arrive until the 16th century.
Cabernet Franc also has a long history in the region. Despite its Basque origin, Cabernet Franc's long
migration to Loire vineyards was confirmed by the French writer François Rabelais in a 1534
publication, and it may have arrived in the region as early as the 11th century. Loire wines have always
been an important commodity in the cafes of Paris, and they were exported via Nantes to England by
the 11th century. The wines of Sancerre, Anjou, and Saint-Pourçain succeeded each other in national
repute during the High and Late Middle Ages, when the Loire Valley was the focus of French society.
This focus shifted with King Louis XIV’s coronation at Reims and his development of Versailles. The
Previewing
pastoral Staged Changes
Loire Valley faded from view as the Industrial Age blossomed and swifter transit brought new
wines to Paris. Crippled by phylloxera in the 1880s and supplanted by the wines of Bordeaux and
others, the Loire Valley was almost forgotten as a viticultural region. As wine enthusiasts are gradually
learning, the Loire today offers an incredible range of food-friendly wines, typically lighter in style but
remarkable for their honesty and charm.

The Loire Valley produces more white wine than any other French region and is second only to
Champagne in sparkling wine production. Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne
are the classic white varietals for Loire wines. In addition, a host of secondary white regional and
international grapes can be found throughout the valley, including Chardonnay, Orbois (Arbois/Menu
Pineau), Romorantin, Gros Plant (Folle Blanche), and Chasselas.

While the Loire’s white wines can overshadow the reds, the valley is nonetheless an important source
for lighter-bodied, high acid red wines. Cabernet Franc—known locally as Breton—is the most
important varietal, followed by Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec (Côt), Pineau d’Aunis,
and Groslot (Grolleau).

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Pays Nantais

The vineyards of the Pays Nantais sweep from the south toward the northeast of the city of Nantes
near the Atlantic coast. This is Muscadet country: a cool, wet maritime region planted primarily to the
Melon de Bourgogne grape. The grape arrived in the area in the 17th century as distillation fodder for
the Dutch but gained prominence after a notable 1709 frost and ensuing moratorium on red grapes
that transformed the Nantais into a white wine region. Today, four appellations exist for the grape:
Muscadet AOP, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP, Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOP, and Muscadet
Sèvre-et-Maine AOP. To ensure lighter, fresher character, Muscadet wines show best at 12% ABV or
below.

Muscadet AOP is the basic appellation for Melon de Bourgogne, and the wines are neutral, bone dry to
dry, high in acid, and designed for youthful consumption. The appellation is seldom used, as most
producers qualify for one of the other three sub-appellations. Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine wines, which
account for over 80% of Muscadet production, are sourced from 23 communes near the confluence of
the Sèvre and Maine Rivers. Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOP offers—but does not promise—classic
Melon de Bourgogne sourced from a range of complex soils including gneiss, silica, clay, and granite.
Nearly half of the Sèvre-et-Maine production is bottled sur lie. In order to label Muscadet as sur lie,
the wine must originate from land qualifying for one of the three sub-appellations. Sur lie wines are
aged on their lees over the winter and are bottled directly off the fine lees (without filtering) between
March 1 and November 30 of the year following the harvest. The process adds complexity, richness,
and a slight sparkle to the finished wines.

Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP is further north, and the wines are correspondingly leaner. In
warmer vintages, the area is an excellent source for grapes. Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu AOP is the
newest appellation, created in 1994. The wines struggle to achieve quality beyond basic Muscadet.

Some producers in Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine are striving to create a badge of quality for better wines.
Guy Bossard and others adopted “Hermine d’Or,” an unofficial label term that promotes terroir and
stresses ageability. A Cru Communaux designation was proposed in 2001, requiring eligible wines
from specified schist soils to spend a minimum 18 months sur lie—longer than the actual sur lie term
allows. In 2011, this proposal finally bore fruit with the introduction of three subzones for Muscadet
Sèvre-et-Maine: Clisson, Le Pallet, and Gorges. It remains to be seen if or when more crus will follow.
Although the minimum length of aging for each subzone precludes the use of sur lie on the label,
wines from these areas may be destined to become some of the finest expressions of the Melon grape
available.

With the elimination of the VDQS tier in 2011, three new regions in Pays Nantais gained AOC status:
Gros Plant du Pays Nantais, Coteaux d'Ancenis, and Fiefs Vendéens. Like Muscadet, Gros Plant may
be produced as a sur lie wine, but it will require some serious effort on the part of the region's
producers to improve perceptions, lees aging or not.

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Anjou-Saumur

Between the Pays Nantais and Touraine lies the Loire’s largest, most diverse, and most dynamic
region, Anjou. Although Anjou and Saumur are often considered collectively, Saumur is an eastern
subregion of Anjou, adjacent to Chinon in Touraine. Together, they deliver every style of wine the Loire
offers. Saumur is the Loire’s center for sparkling wine production; Anjou produces both sweet and dry
interpretations of Chenin Blanc, known locally as Pineau de la Loire. The highest praise is reserved for
these white wines, but 45% of Anjou’s total production is devoted to rosé, a blended wine dominated
by Grolleau grapes. Nearly one-third of Anjou’s plantings are Cabernet Franc, with the resulting red
wines achieving a higher quality than in the past. Anjou AOP, a designation for red, white, and
sparkling wines, is the umbrella appellation for the region. Many Saumur wines may be bottled as
Anjou AOP, but not vice versa.

Chenin Blanc is slow to ripen, and in northerly climates

like Anjou, the grape will maintain its persistent, high
acidity in the finished wine. Astringency from high levels
of extract is also common. Whereas Anjou Blanc AOP
dry wines tend toward this aggressive acidity and
bitterness, the best wines of Savennières AOP develop
great complexity and honeyed richness with age.
Produced from 100% Chenin Blanc and generally dry, the
wines of Savennières are austere and rigid in their youth.
On the north bank of the Loire, Savennières enjoys a
steep southern exposure and a unique soil structure
composed of blueschist mixed with volcanic debris. Two
sub-appellations, long regarded as unofficial grands
crus of Savennières, finally received their own AOCs in
2011: Roche Aux Moines and Coulée de Serrant. The
latter is a monopole of the rigidly biodynamic Nicolas
Joly.

South of Angers and the Loire, Chenin Blanc is harvested later in the season as producers hope for
botrytis in the sweet wine districts of Coteaux du Layon AOP and Coteaux de l’Aubance AOP.
Harvesting in tries (multiple passes through the vineyard) is mandatory in both appellations, resulting
in either healthy grapes with pure late-harvest flavors or the selection of grapes gripped by noble rot.
With a minimum residual sugar content of 34 grams per liter, neither appellation commands the
richness and unctuousness of Sauternes; however, the wines gain versatility at the table.

Within Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux AOP and Quarts de Chaume AOP are noteworthy for the high
quality of their sweet wines. These two appellations enjoy south-facing aspects in the communes of
Thouarcé and Rochefort-sur-Loire, respectively, and often deliver botrytis-affected fruit. Quarts de
Chaume AOP, entitled to the grand cru moniker from the 2010 harvest forward, consists of a small
band of sandstone and schist hillsides on the banks of the Layon River. Protected from the prevailing
winds and touched by morning mists streaming from the Layon, the small appellation is a good
incubator for noble rot, and, like Sauternes, its regulations require manual harvests to be conducted in
successive tries. At 45 hectares, Quarts de Chaume's total production each year is under 10,000
cases of wine. Domaine des Baumard and Château Pierre-Bise—both highly regarded producers of
Savennières—are good addresses for the sweet wines of Quarts du Chaume, and Château des Fesles
is one of the most respected estates in Bonnezeaux, a larger appellation that is often actually harder
to find in the marketplace.

Additionally, seven villages are entitled to add their

names to the basic Coteaux du Layon AOP: Beaulieu-
sur-Layon, Rochefort-sur-Loire, Faye d’Anjou, St.
Lambert du Lattay, St. Aubin de Luigné, Rablay-sur-
Layon, and Chaume. Wines labeled by village must reach
higher minimum must weights and are harvested at
lower maximum yields. At a minimum 80 grams per liter
of residual sugar, the wines of Chaume are exceptionally
Clos de la Coulée de Serrant
rich, yet vociferous complaints by the producers of
Quarts du Chaume scuttled the separate, short-lived Chaume/Chaume Premier Cru appellation in
2009, sending the commune back into the fold of Coteaux du Layon AOP. In 2011, with the approval of
grand cru status for Quarts du Chaume, opposition relented and the INAO again bestowed the status
of premier cru on wines from the commune of Chaume.

While the Cabernet Franc-based wines of Anjou AOP are good values, Anjou-Villages AOP, a red
wine-only appellation, provides some of the region’s finest examples. Anjou-Villages producers
typically bolster Cabernet Franc with a proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, resulting in sturdier and
fuller wines. Anjou Villages Brissac AOP, a more recent red wine appellation, covers the same 10
communes that are authorized for Coteaux de l'Aubance. Gamay gives Anjou's lightest reds (Anjou
Gamay varietal wines), but the grape may not be blended in standard Anjou rouge bottlings.

Saumur AOP covers red, dry white, sparkling white, and sparkling rosé wines. Prior to 2016, Saumur
Blanc permitted the addition of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but now requires 100% Chenin
Blanc. Saumur Rouge wines allow Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pineau d’Aunis. Still rosé
wines are not authorized. Over half of Saumur’s grapes are destined for Saumur AOP sparkling wines
or méthode traditionnelle Crémant de Loire AOP. The latter offers the most promise, allowing blending
across Touraine and Anjou-Saumur while permitting fewer restrictions on grape usage.

The soft tuffeau limestone soils of Saumur resemble those of Touraine. Near the commune of
Champigny—the “field of fire”—the limestone is harder, iron-rich, and inflected with shale. Eight
surrounding villages may produce the red wine Saumur-Champigny, a light, bright, and elegantly floral
expression of Cabernet Franc. Haut-Poitou, about 50 miles due south of Chinon and the eastern edge
of Saumur, achieved AOC/AOP status in late 2011 with the dissolution of the VDQS category.

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Touraine

While both Anjou-Villages and Saumur-Champigny can produce attractive, expressive reds, the Loire’s
best and most ageworthy red wine has historically been produced in the two regions of Chinon and
Bourgueil in Touraine. Chinon AOP, Bourgueil AOP, and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AOP set the
standard for classic Loire Cabernet Franc. Brimming with raspberry and green tobacco aromatics and
framed by silky tannin, the wines demonstrate remarkable terroir distinctions—especially in Chinon.
Chinon soils are broadly divided into three types: tuffeau, clay, and varennes. The sandy, alluvial
varennes soils are closest to the river Vienne—a Loire tributary—whereas tuffeau is more common on
the slopes. The vins de tuffe originating from these limestone south-facing slopes carry the most
promise for depth and ageworthiness. Like Chinon, Bourgueil soils are divided between sand and
limestone, but Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil is situated almost wholly on lighter alluvial soils, with a
corresponding lighter style of wine. All three appellations require a majority of Cabernet Franc in the
final wine. Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil offer only red and rosé wines, whereas Chinon
produces a small amount of white wine from Chenin Blanc.

Further upstream, the communes of Vouvray and

Montlouis-sur-Loire lie on opposing banks of the Loire.
Vouvray AOP is Touraine’s largest and most important
white wine district. The tuffeau limestone subsoil of
Vouvray provided soft material for excavation, resulting
in an impressive network of cellar tunnels running
underneath the eight delimited communes of Vouvray.
The wines are produced from Chenin Blanc; the rustic
Orbois grape is allowed but seldom encountered.
Vouvray may be produced in a range of sweetness
levels: sec, sec-tendre (off-dry), demi-sec, moelleux,
and liquereux. The final decision on residual sugar is
usually a response to the vagaries of each vintage, not a
consistent stylistic choice. Vouvray producers may also
choose to make a sparkling wine, a successful strategy
in cooler years. The sparkling wines are made by
méthode traditionnelle and may be either pétillant or
mousseux. The wines of Montlouis-sur-Loire AOP, formerly part of Vouvray, are very similar in style
and may be made across the same spectrum of styles. Orbois is not permitted in Montlouis-sur-Loire.

As a whole, the Touraine AOP can produce charming—but just as often generic—wines from the local
grapes. While Chenin Blanc has dominated Touraine white wines, a more recent encépagement
mandates Sauvignon Blanc and a maximum 20% Sauvignon Gris, replacing the older style entirely in
2016. Red and rosé varieties include—but are not limited to—Gamay, Groslot, Pineau d’Aunis, and
Cabernet Franc. The Gamay bottlings are often sold locally as primeur, in the style of Beaujolais
nouveau. In recognition of their superior wines, five villages are allowed to add their name to the basic
appellation: Mesland, Azay-le-Rideau, Amboise, Oisly, and Chenonceaux. Touraine pétillant and
mousseux wines are made, and a separate rosé appellation exists for Touraine Noble-Joué. Created in
2001, Touraine Noble-Joué AOP recreates a historical style of vin gris, a blend of Gris Meunier (Pinot
Meunier), Malvoisie (Pinot Gris), and Pinot Noir.

Several outlying appellations exist in Touraine. North of the Loire Valley is the awkwardly named Loir
tributary and the Coteaux du Loir AOP. The red blends and rosés are based on Pineau d’Aunis and the
white wines are exclusively produced from Chenin Blanc. Chenin Blanc alone is bottled as Jasnières
AOP, a sub-appellation and source of the Coteaux du Loir’s best wines. Chenin Blanc from Jasnières is
similar in style to Vouvray, yet often more green and herbaceous in character. Northeast of the
Coteaux du Loir is Coteaux du Vendômois AOP, a newer appellation specializing in dry rosé of Pineau
d’Aunis.

Cheverny AOP and Cour-Cheverny AOP are on the eastern edge of Touraine. Cheverny’s light reds are
Pinot Noir- and Gamay-based, while the lean whites are dominated by Sauvignon Blanc. The local
Romorantin grape is bottled varietally as Cour-Cheverny. To the south is Valençay AOP, a French
appellation for both wines and goat milk cheeses. Reflecting the proximity of Reuilly and Quincy to the
east, Valençay's whites are predominantly composed of Sauvignon Blanc. Red and rosé wines from
the appellation are based on Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Côt.

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The Central Vineyards

The Loire’s Central Vineyards are a noncontiguous stretch of vineyards in the center of France, where
the Loire curves from its northward path to bend toward the Atlantic. The climate is chiefly
continental; cold winters and brisk days during harvest and budbreak bring the danger of frost, and
short summers do not assure easy ripening. Nonetheless, the Loire’s best Sauvignon Blanc vineyards
are found here, and Pinot Noir, while light in style, can be exceptional in warmer vintages.
Sancerre AOP and Pouilly-Fumé AOP are synonymous
with Sauvignon Blanc. The two appellations straddle the
river and provide the classic Loire style: steely,
pungently herbaceous, mineral-laden Sauvignon Blanc
made for youthful drinking. Vibrant but not lean, the best
examples have subtle complexity and a focused, lengthy
finish. In Sancerre, the vines are planted on three main
soils: silex, terres blanches, and caillottes. Terres
blanches is a continuation of the same Kimmeridgian
clay that extends into Chablis, whereas caillottes is a
stony soil, littered with fossils. Silex has a higher
proportion of flint, continuing into the communes of
Pouilly-Fumé across the river, where a certain “gunflint”
character is implied in the wines. The late Didier
Dagueneau famously appropriated the Silex moniker for
his top Pouilly-Fumé bottling. Whereas classic Sancerre
and Pouilly-Fumé wines are produced in stainless steel,
Dagueneau and others have experimented with new oak. The resulting wines can be more akin to
white Bordeaux than classic Loire Sauvignon Blanc.

Whereas Pouilly-Fumé AOP wines must be white, Pinot Noir may be vinified as Sancerre Rouge or
Rosé. These tend toward extreme lightness, and generally have less body and higher acid than even
Côte Chalonnaise Pinot Noirs. The Pouilly-sur-Loire AOP, named after the central commune of Pouilly-
Fumé, is reserved for whites produced from the Chasselas grape.

Other appellations of the Central Vineyards include

Menetou-Salon AOP, a designation for Sauvignon Blanc
and Pinot Noir. The wines are similar to those of
Sancerre. Reuilly AOP, Quincy AOP, and Coteaux du
Giennois AOP also produce varietal Sauvignon Blanc.
Coteaux du Giennois produces reds and rosés
obligatorily blended from Pinot Noir and Gamay. Reuilly’s
reds are pure Pinot Noir, whereas the best rosés are the
Vineyards of Sancerre
pale vin gris wines produced from Pinot Gris. Quincy, a
white wine-only AOP, is notable for being the second demarcated appellation in France, following only
Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Orléans AOP, promoted from VDQS in 2006, lies just east of Touraine and
allows wines of all three colors, utilizing a large proportion of Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay,
respectively, for its reds and whites. Orléans-Cléry AOP, a sister appellation, is reserved for red wines
produced solely from Cabernet Franc.

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Other Appellations of Central France

Several other wine regions surround the Loire closer to its source and have little in common with the
other appellations. The red and rosé wines of Côtes du Forez AOP and Côte Roannaise AOP are
exclusively produced from Gamay and are similar to the lighter styles of Beaujolais. The regions
themselves are much closer to Lyon and Beaujolais than the Central Vineyards. In the southwestern
corner of the Cher département, the Châteaumeillant AOP also produces reds and rosés, principally
from Gamay. Wines of all three colors are produced as Côtes d’Auvergne AOP and Saint-Pourçain
AOP. The former is the southernmost and most remote Loire region, and the latter is just to its north,
in the Allier département.

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Review Quizzes

Beginner
Intermediate
Expert

Updated October 2017

Comments

Online Noah Dranow ! 49 comments " 4 members are here

Offline Scott Lefler 4 months ago

Hi.

Perhaps it was intended to mean encépagement, like under the Touraine Blanc example, but for
Bourgueil AOP, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AOP, and Chinon AOP (Rosé et Rouge) the final
wine/Assemblage required is >50% Cabernet Franc and <50% Cabernet Sauvignon, as to which that
seems to apply.

Thank you!

Offline Jonathan Ross 4 months ago in reply to Scott Lefler

Hey Scott. Can you clarify where you are seeing this in the site? Everything in the study
guide and compendium references the max 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The AOP document
speaks to it being an accessory variety, and can be planted to a maximum of 10%.
Cabernet Franc has to be the majority, and often assemblage is per encepagement if not
listed otherwise.

Offline Hak Soo Kim 4 months ago

I believe Quarts de Chaume AOP is approximately 45 hectares, not 54 hectares. It is five hectares
smaller than Clos de Vougeot AOP, which is about 50 hectares. Information on the compendium is
correct, but I think "54 hectares" on this page is an error...

Offline Jonathan Ross 4 months ago in reply to Hak Soo Kim

Thanks, and updated

Offline Vincent Morrow 8 months ago

Hi Juan David Quintero the question has been updated to include these full names. Previously it was only
looking for these answers without the Domaine attached to it (IE Baumard). Thanks!

Offline Juan David Quintero 12 months ago

In the "intermediate" level in the review section appears a question that no matter what I answer is
never right:

-Who is the producer of "Clos du Papillon"?

there could be 3 answers to this:

Domaine des Forges

Domaine Du Closel

Domaine des Baumard

none of these work.

Offline Kent Benson over 1 year ago

Cyril, yes Valençay is certainly in the political region of Centre. But, the political region of Centre and
the wine area of Centre are very different. The political region of Centre also includes the AOCs of
Chinon, Vouvray, and Touraine, but they are firmly assigned to the Touraine subregion for Loire
Valley wine, not Centre. Virtually all such questions posed in wine quizzes and exams are asking for
the wine region name and not the official political region name.
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