FR: Loire Valley Flashcards
(133 cards)
Loire IGPs
Val de Loire
* 9% of production
* 5 IGP, the others = ~ .2% of production
[Côtes de la Charité
Coteaux de Tannay
Coteaux du Cher et l’Arnon
Puy de Dôme]
Loire plantings & production
56.9k
* 78% locally consumed, 25% exported
* 53 AOC’s count for 75% of production
* 12% VDF
Vin Gris
Very pale rosé wines - not legally regulated. Made from very brief skin contact.
3 frost fighting strategies
- Frost fans
- Candles/chauferrettes (not ecologically-friendly)
- Water spraying (access to water can be a problem) aka aspersion
- Heated electric wires (costly)
Loire frost vintages since 2015
2016
2017
2019
2021 (WORST)
At what temp does photosynthesis start to decrease
30° C/ 86° F
* photosynthesis decreases, eventually leading to the vine shutting down and delaying maturation
Melon B parents? Romorantin?
both Gouais Blanc x Pinot
Feigentraube
A German synonym for Sauvignon Blanc
Cotes de Auvergne AC
Cotes de Auvergne AC
* runs along Allier River, tributary of Loire - so classified as Loire
* 75% of production is red. Vyd is 50% Gamay, 20% PN
* only Chardonnay-focused Loire Valley AOP
* volcanic! Massif Central
AC since 2012. Puy-de-Dome IGP covers this area.
Pay Nantais’ synonym for Folle Blanche & reason for high # of plantings
Gros Plant
* highly productive, highly acidic variety traditionally used by the Dutch in the 17th century to make Cognac
Côt parents
Magdeleine Noire des Charentes x Prunelard
Massif Armoricain
W Loire: Nantais/half of Saumur
* SOILS: Granite, gneiss, multicolored schist, slate, and pudding stones.
EX: Anjou Noir
* 600 million years of weathering = Hercynian Mtns reduced to gentle slopes
5 tributaries of the Loire
Maine
Sèvre
Vienne
Indre
Allier
Loir
Layon
Thouet
Cher
Sur Lie
- 4 ACs that can use the label
- general timeframe
Autolysis = flavor, aroma, texture
- Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire
- Muscadet Sevre et Maine
- Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu
- Gros Plant du Pays Nantais
5 - 14 months aging on lees - from March 1 until Nov 30/Dec 31 of year after harvest
**Not for Crus
Muscadet soils
TOPSOIL: clay, sand, gravel
SUBSOIL: Metamorphic/igneous mix.. gneiss, gabbro, granite, schist, clay
Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Elevage
Basic: none mentioned
Sur Lie: March 1 to Dec 31 for bottling; can be sold as soon as March 8
CRUS:
- Goulaine/ Le Pallet: shortest elevage - fine lees until April 1 of 2nd year
- the rest…. Oct 1 of 2nd year
[Gorges, Clisson, Mouzillon-Tillières, Monnières-Saint-Fiacre, Château-Thébaud]
Muscadet “sur lie” aging requirement
On lees until March 1 of year after harvest
Can be sold as soon as March 8
Must be off lees by Dec. 31
Aging requirements for Goulaine and Le Pallet* (less aging than the other crus)
April 1 of 2nd year
(the rest mandate Oct 1)
Muscadet Crus
(7)
Complimentary geographic denominations
2011: Clisson, Gorges, Pallet
2019: Goulaine, Château Thébaud, Monnières-Saint-Fiacre, and Mouzillon-Tillières
Muscadet Cru Communaux with GRANITE
Clisson
Muscadet Cru Communaux with GNEISS
DOMINANT:
- Monnières-Saint-Fiacre
- Château-Thébaud
MIXED:
- Le Pallet: Gneiss, quartz, and gabbro
- Goulaine: Gneiss, schist
Muscadet Cru Communaux with GABBRO
- Mouzillon-Tillières: Gabbro
- Gorges: Clay and gabbro
- Le Pallet: Gneiss, quartz, gabbro
Coteaux d’Ancenis AOP
SWEET WHITES: 100% Pinot Gris (Malvoisie); 20-40gl RS
ROSÉ/REDS: 90% Gamay + max 10% Cabernet Franc
[Sweet Malvoisie = 2/3 of production, most consumed in region]
Overlaps Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire
Muscadet yields
- Muscadet AC: 70 hl/ha
- Muscadet Sevre et Maine etc: 55 hl/ha
- Crus: 45 hl/ha