France - Loire

Question 1

Location

Answer 1

• Saumur and eastern Touraine

- Cremant d’Loire appellation covers Anjou, Saumur, and Touraine

Question 2

Climate

Answer 2

• cool climate
• maritime in Saumur
• semi continental in tourraine

Question 3

Soils

Answer 3

• limestone, clay, some granite, schist, slate

Question 4

Viticulture

Answer 4

• better wines are held for best sites
• Saumur: mechanical harvesting permitted
• Vouvray: mechanical harvesting permitted
• Cremant d’loire: hand harvesting only

Question 5

Grapes - Saumur

Answer 5

Chenin blanc, CH, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Pineau d, Aunis, Sauv Blanc, Grolleau, Grolleau Gris, Gamay, Pinot Noir

White: min: 60% Chenin Blanc
Rose: min 60% Cab Franc

Question 6

Vinification Saumur

Answer 6

• traditional method
• Max juice yield 100L/130kg
• 9 months on lees

Question 7

Styles Saumur

Answer 7

• Brut

- Rose

Question 8

Important Trade Structures

Answer 8

• Leading houses have mixed ownership
• Ackerman is the only in local hands
• small number of growers and co-ops making some sparkling wine as part of their product range

Question 9

Cremant

Answer 9

• classicaly 3.6 atm
• named for it’s soft creamy mousse
• no longer allowed to use that

Question 10

Vouvray

Answer 10

• Tourraine district
• flagship grape is CHenin blanc
• wines known to last long due to the grapes acidity
• two styles, petillant (spritzy) and Mousseax (fully sparkling)
• often abandonded for terms like Brut or Method Traditional
• 12 months on lees but often longer
• weightier and more aromatic due to chenin blanc
• all made in TM
• stored in tuffeau rock caves
• no legal definition between pet and mous just that it must be visibly different in their labeling so as to avoid confusion

Question 11

Saumur

Answer 11

• epicenter of wine production
• soil is tuffeau / porous, sandy-yellow rock
• cellars have been cut directly into this soft rock providing a cool, temperature moderated environment perfect for storing TM wines

Question 12

Montlouis

Answer 12

• Tourraine district
• key grape is Chenin Blanc
• overshadowed by Vouvray
• same as vouvray, petillant or mousseaux

Question 13

Grapes Cremant de Loire

Answer 13

• Chenin Blanc, CH, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Pineau d’Aunis, Grolleau, Grolleau Gris, Arbois, PN
• P

Question 14

Grapes Cremant de Loire

Answer 14

• Chenin Blanc, CH, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Pineau d’Aunis, Grolleau, Grolleau Gris, Arbois, PN
• Pineau d’Aunis and Cab Sauv: max 30%

Question 15

Vinification Vouvray

Answer 15

• traditional method
• Max juice yield 100L/130kg
• 9 months on lees

Question 16

Vinification Cremant de Loire

Answer 16

• traditional method
• Max juice yield 100L/150kg
• 12 months on lees

Question 17

Styles Vouvray

Answer 17

• Brut

- Petillant

Question 18

Styles Cremant de Loire

Answer 18

• Brut
• rose
• non dose

Question 19

Cremant de Loire

Answer 19

• regional appellation for Anjou, Saumur, and Touraine
• reliable alternative to increasingly expensive wines of Champagne
• chenin blanc is primary grape
• their star grape of SB is ommited from use
• use of chenin has floral aromas
• 9 months on lees

Question 20

Anjou

Answer 20

• moderate, balanced by continental effect of central france to the east and maritime of the atlantic to the west
• schist and limestone

Question 21

Chenin Blanc

Answer 21

• naturally high in acid
• aromatic qualities are too assertive
• fights against autolysis and prevents the development of mellow bottle aromas
• used in australia for bulk tank wines