Loire Valley

Pays Nantais

Melon Blanc

• dry

• medium alcohol

• high acidity

• light body

• oak/concrete

• 3 styles / AOC: Muscadet - Muscadet Sèvre et Maine - Muscadet sur lie

• Sur Lie = has spent the winter on the lees → richer texture

Anjou-Saumur

Chenin Blanc

Anjou → dry wines sometimes with oak

Saumur → sparkling with traditional method

Savennieres → dry, full body, complex, able to age, late harvest

Coteaux du Layon → between the Loire River and the Layon River = noble rot = most renowned sweet wines → two best sites = Quarts De Chaume - Bonnezeaux

Cabernet Franc

Saumur-Champigny → light body, early drinking, violet character

Gamay

fruity and early drinking

Rosè

Cabernet D’Anjou

• highest quality -

• from medium-dry to medium-sweet

• blend = Cab Sav + Cab Franc

• fresh and fruity

Rosè D’Anjou = less sweet - made from Grolleau (local black variety) - blended w/ CabFranc

Saumur - Rosé de Loire → high volume production

Touraine

Chenin Blanc

Vouvray

• still or sparkling

• dry or sweet

• clay soil = more body and concentration

• light to medium body

• fresh and fruity + floral

Sauvignon Blanc

• the major production

• label = Sauvignon de Touraine = less concentrated, fresh and fruity

Cabernet Franc

Touraine

→ if on sandy soil = light, fruity, early drinking

→ if on limestone + clay southfacing slopes = fuller body. more tannic, can mature in bottle

Best spots: Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-De-Bourgueil

Gamay

fruity and early drinking

Rosè

Touraine - Rosé de Loire → high volume production

Central Vineyards

Sauvignon Blanc

Soil = well drained - stony - limestone based

Best village = Chavignol

Best vineyard = Monts Damnes

Pinot Noir

• light styles - the best sites are for Sav. Blanc