Outside France the Loire is often considered almost exclusively a white wine region; not surprising given that the region's best known wines on export markets are probably white Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Muscadet and perhaps Vouvray. Actually, the Loire is a far from a red-free region as the proportion of red and rosé made is around 45%, despite Robert Parker's remarkable assertion in The World’s Greatest Wine Estates (published 2005) that: “Stylistically white wines dominate the region, representing at least 95% of the production!”
My third Loire article covers the section of the Loire where red wines play a very important role. It covers the appellations of Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Saumur and Saumur-Champigny. Also covered are some very good dry whites, a fine sweet appellation, some rosé and the Loire's main area for the production of sparkling wine, which is based around Saumur. The Saumur region is customarily linked with Anjou rather than Western Touraine. I have chosen to link them together as the style of the reds from Saumur is much more akin to Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil than they are to the more tannic reds of Anjou. They share the same soil and geological features as they are the western extremity of the clay and limestone of the Paris basin.
Although the reds tend to grab the headlines, there are some very fine dry whites made here – the best invariably being 100% Chenin Blanc. Saumur is also the centre of the Loire’s sparkling wine production – second only, but a distant second, to Champagne in volume for French sparkling wine. The annual production is around 21.25 million bottles of sparkling Saumur and Crémant de Loire combined. 10% of this is rosé. Although the 80,000 hls of Crémant de Loire can come from a wide area much of it is produced in and around Saumur. The production of sparkling wine in Champagne, however, at around 330 million bottles, completely dwarfs the entire volume of bubbles made in the whole of the Loire Valley.
But let’s start with the reds. Although the grape's origins are in Bordeaux and the Basque County, this is the kingdom of Cabernet Franc - the world's biggest concentration of fine, fragrant reds based almost exclusively on Cabernet Franc. Here this variety really comes into its own rather than playing a supporting role, as it often does in Bordeaux, although there are a few significant exceptions - Ausone and Cheval Blanc, wherein Cabernet Franc makes up the majority of the blend.
One of the reasons for the popularity of Cabernet Franc here is that it ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. It is only in Anjou with its slightly longer growing season (due to an early spring) that Cabernet Sauvignon regularly ripens properly, and then only in specially favoured sites.
Too often Loire Cabernet Francs have been portrayed as light, fruity wines that should be drunk young. There are certainly cuvées that are bottled early, ready for immediate drinking, which make ideal summer wines when served lightly chilled. Equally there are more ambitious wines that require ageing to show their best and can last a remarkable length of time. Witness the amazing tasting I was lucky enough to attend in early June 2012 in the remarkable cellars of Lamé Delisle Boucard in Bourgueil. A tasting that covered three centuries going back to the great vintage of 1893 - a wine still on form and far from a fading relic. One reason for their longevity is a shared core of acidity that makes all styles of Loire wines refreshing. Although a good many wine drinkers know about the longevity of the Loire's sweet wines, many fewer are aware of the ability of some Loire reds to age remarkably well.
You might expect Loire Cabernet producers to find affinity in Bordeaux, but this is not the case: most look to Burgundy. While at first sight this might be surprising, it makes sense as the approach in the Loire to terroir is much more Burgundian than Bordelais with the vineyard emphasized rather than the estate. Furthermore with the exception of the négociants, the region still remains very family-orientated as it frequently is in Burgundy.
These are food friendly reds that match a range of dishes, depending upon the weight and age of the wines. The lighter reds work well with ‘meatier’ fish such as salmon and swordfish.
Chinon; Cabernet Franc
Chinon
Unlike Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil, where the vineyards face towards the Loire, those of Chinon centre around the River Vienne which soon joins the Loire at Candes Saint Martin. The majority of the vines are on the north side of the river with some 40% found in the commune of Cravant-les-Coteaux, a little to the east of the town of Chinon. There are, however, some significant producers to the south of the Vienne such as Charles Joguet in Sazilly and Domaine de la Noblaie in Ligré.
There are three main types of soil in Chinon – sand, gravel and clay-limestone – producing different kinds of wine. The lightest style of wine comes from the sandy soils, which are mainly at the western end of the appellation around Savigny-en-Véron. These tend to be wines to be bottled in the spring following the vintage and enjoyed young. The Vienne has laid down gravel terraces on both sides of its course but they are more extensive on the north bank. In general the wines here are medium bodied and can be kept for eight to ten years depending upon the vintage. The slopes are clay and limestone and it is from here that the most structured, concentrated and age worthy wines come. Well-cellared wines from great vintages can easily last 50 years.
Several communes, including Saint Gemme, to the west of the Chinon and on the south bank of the Vienne are in the process of joining the appellation. These are producers of pure Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, that have been made 'orphans' by the absurd reform of the Touraine appellation, which now bans the use of 100% Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. They will join Chinon in 2014 or 2015. The clay limestone soil and conditions are the same as those in the Chinon appellation further east. Notable properties amongst the newcomers include Châteaux de Petit Thouars and Trochoire.
There is a small amount of white made from 100% Chenin. There are about 36 hectares in production from vines that should be planted on the limestone slopes. Around 8% of the total production is white and rosé.
Highly Recommended Producers
Philippe Alliet: Philippe and his wife, Claude, are amongst the appellation’s top (and most expensive) producers. Strong believers in barrique aging, they originally made their reputation with wines from the flat gravel terraces. Later they replanted the steep hillsides of the Coteau de Noire, just to the east of the town of Chinon. Ever since phylloxera this hillside had been abandoned. While powerful the Alliet wines have finesse. Philippe is no fan of over-ripeness – he didn’t like the heat wave vintage of 2003.
Baudry-Dutour: Founded in 2003, this is a partnership between Christophe Baudry and Jean-Martin Dutour. Baudry-Dutour is now the Chinon's largest individual producer with 120 hectares. Their properties include Domaine de la Pierrière, Château de Saint Louans, Château de la Grille and Domaine de la Roncée. They have a modern winery at Panzoult and have recently renovated and built new facilities at Château de la Grille, a property on the northern outskirts of Chinon, which they bought in early in 2009. Their wines are well made and reliable. It will be interesting to see what changes they effect with La Grille, which in the past I have found austere and tannic.
Domaine Bernard Baudry: Bernard Baudry is the younger brother of Jean Baudry, the father of Christophe of Baudry-Dutour. Rather than joining the family estate - Domaine de la Perrière - he opted to set up on his own with just two hectares of vines. Today Bernard is one of the top producers in Chinon. His 30-hectare domaine is now in the safe hands of Matthieu, his son, with Bernard increasingly taking a back seat. Their top wines are Le Clos Guillot and La Croix Boissée – both are from vines on the clay limestone slopes.
Domaine de la Noblaie – Jérôme Billard: Jérôme Billard has rapidly propelled this family estate to become one of the most exciting in the Chinon appellation. Jérôme returned to take over the family domaine in 2003 after working at Pétrus as well as California. His father, François, was a well-known and respected teacher at the Lycée Professionel Agricole of Monteuil-Bellay. Jacqueline and Pierre Manzagol, Jérôme’s grandparents, bought the domaine in 1953 when it had five hectares of vines. It has now expanded to 24 and the estate is in the process of being certified as organic.
Jérôme makes four red Chinons. Firstly is the domaine wine (La Noblaie), which sees no wood. Next is Les Blanc Manteaux, sourced from a parcel of old vines at least 60 years of age, planted on limestone slopes and aged for a year in 500-litre barrels. Les Chiens Chiens comes from old vines on clay. It is aged for 12 months in 400-litre barrels and then spends a further eight months in stainless steel. The final red – Pierre de Tuf – is very unusual as it is fermented in an old limestone vat that has been cut out of the cellar wall. This wine is aged for 12 months in 500-litre barrels and then for a further eight months in stainless steel. Although all of the reds have good concentration and ripe fruit, they are most notable for their finesse and delicacy. In addition to a straight white Chinon, there is also a small production of a very fine prestige version often made from partially botrytised grapes, fermented and aged for 24 months in 500-litre barrels. It has a long aging potential.
Château de Coulaine: Established in 1300, this organic estate is run by Etienne and Pascale Bonnaventure, and today has 12 hectares of vines to the west of the town of Chinon. The often delicious and easy drinking Château de Coulaine is bottled in the spring following the vintage – the Bonnaventures call it a vin de Pacques (an Easter wine). Their top wine, the more structured La Diablesse, comes from vines of between 40 and 80 years of age, planted in clay, flinty clay and limestone. It spends 18 months in barrel and in good vintages will certainly last 15-20 years
Charles Joguet: In 1959 Charles took over the family domaine, returning from Paris where he was a sculptor. He expanded the domaine and started bottling his wine from 1972 – previously it had been sold off in bulk to the négociants. Under Charles' guidance and with advice from Jacques Puisais and others, the estate became Chinon’s leading property during the 1980s and early 1990s. After Charles retired in 1997 standards declined for a time but revived considerably in the latter half of the first decade of the new millennium with the return of winemaker François Xavier Barc, who had worked at the property in the 1990s. FX left in 2009 to set up his own small négociant business. Owner Jacques Genet, his daughter Anne-Charlotte Genet and Kevin Fontaine, the winemaker, are now in charge and standards are being maintained, especially at the top end.
The domaine’s top vineyards are Le Clos du Chêne Vert, a very steep, south-west facing plot on the coteaux in Chinon, and le Clos la Dioterie, just beside the winery at Sazilly. Again these wines age well - the 1988 and 1989 remain deliciously memorable.
Couly-Dutheil: Founded in 1921, Couly-Dutheil used to be the most important producer in Chinon. Unfortunately a bitter family dispute between the two brothers – Pierre and Jacques Couly – has allowed Baudry-Dutour to march on them. Pierre and Bertrand, his son, are no longer part of the family firm and have set up on their own as Pierre and Bertrand Couly, while Jacques and Arnaud, his son, run Couly-Dutheil. Sadly there are still legal battles to sort out which party owns what. The dispute has probably given Baudry-Dutour a freer hand to expand and become the largest domaine in the appellation.
Couly-Dutheil owns the two most historic vineyards: the Clos de l'Echo and Clos de l'Olive. Both are on the clay limestone slopes around the attractive town of Chinon. The Clos de l'Echo used to belong to the family of François Rabelais, the author of Gargantua and Pantagruel. It is large vineyard of some 17 hectares - not all of which is top quality. To get around this problem, the Coulys have chosen to make a top cuvée called Crescendo, which I think is a mistake. Better I think to use Le Clos de L'Echo for the Grand Vin and have a second label for the less good parcels. Les Petites Echoes would be a possibility!
Other Estates to Watch
Domaine Jourdan: A biodynamic estate, once called Domaine de la Chapelle. Owner Philippe Prichard sold it in February 2012 to Annick and Francis Jourdan. Prichard continues to be involved in running the domaine.
Marc Plouzeau: Domaine de la Bonnelière. Organic estate of 20 hectares in La Roche Clermault on the south side of the Vienne with its cellars cut into the rock underneath Chinon’s château.
Jean-Maurice Raffault: A large 50-hectare estate with its base in Savigny-en-Véron and vineyards in the western part of the appellation. Now run by the talented Rodolphe Raffault, the son of the late Jean-Maurice. In 2008 they replanted the small but historic Clos de l’Hospice in the centre of Chinon, which had been abandoned by the vine since phylloxera. Alongside their reds, there is also an impressive Chinon Blanc.
Bourgueil
Bourgueil and the adjoining appellation of Saint-Nicolas de-Bourgueil have the same three broad soil types as Chinon. The sandy soils are again those closest to the Loire, followed by the gravel terrace. As a general rule the wines from Bourgueil tend to be a little more structured than those from Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, especially those from the commune of Benais, where a high proportion of the vines are planted on the limestone slopes. 5% of the production is rosé. In general Chinon tends to be softer, more ‘feminine’ than wines from Bourgueil, where the tannins are more apparent and the wines more ‘masculine’. Comparing the Chinon reds made by Catherine and Pierre Breton or by Pierre-Jacques Druet with their Bourgueil wines emphasizes their differences between the two appellations.
Jacky Blot, Domaine de la Butte: Jacky and Joëlle Blot bought this 15ha property in 2022. They took possession just before the harvest, which must have made 2002 a real seat-of-the-pants ride, especially as their previous experience of winemaking was in making white wines in Montlouis and Vouvray. This makes the quality of their wines here all the more impressive.
As the domaine's name suggests the vines are all on the coteaux. La Butte has four different cuvées, which are all very Burgundian in concept. Like the majority of the vineyards of Bourgueil, the vines face south. The fruit for the four cuvees come from a different part of the clay-limestone slope. The top wine Mi-Pente comes from the middle of the slope. The vines here are the best exposed, while being protected from cold north winds. Mi-Pente is the last to be bottled and needs time to show its best. In contrast Le Pied de la Butte, from the bottom of the slope and less well exposed to the sun, is bottled in the spring following the harvest, sees no wood and is intended to be enjoyed young. Le Haut de la Butte comes from the top of the slope, where the vines enjoy less protection than in Mi-Pente. It is between the two in quality. The fourth cuvée is Les Perrières from a small parcel of vines on the eastern side of the domaine. The ground is stony. Initially the Blots thought that Les Perrières had a similar potential to Pied de la Butte. However, they soon realised that after Mi-Pente, Les Perrières is the best section of the domaine, giving wines with a little less structure than Mi-Pente but with delicacy and finesse.
Pierre-Jacques Druet: Many estates follow on from generation to generation; not so for Pierre-Jacques Druet, who started his own domaine here as recently as 1980, yet long ago established his reputation. Les Cent Boisselées is Pierre-Jacques' opening red, which should not be dismissed as a light starter as it has the capacity to age well – the 2003 is currently delicious. Druet’s top cuvée is Vaumoreau from a small plot of very old vines. Along with his Bourgueil, Druet has a Chinon from Le Clos Danzay in Beaumont-en-Véron.
Lamé Delisle Boucard: It was in the magical cellars of Lamé Delisle Boucard that I was privileged to be present at the most amazing tasting of Loire Reds that I have ever experienced. We went through wines from three centuries starting with 2009 and ending with the extraordinary 1893. Although a traditional domaine, Lamé Delisle Boucard has been quick to embrace social media with a blog and using video to bring their work in the vines and in the chai to life.
Laurent Herlin: Laurent is a newcomer to winemaking. He started here in 2008 and has five hectares of vines. He has a number of cuvées ranging from the easy-drinking, carbonic Tsoin Tsoin to the more serious Vin de Mon Nouveau Pays, an IGP wine.
Château de la Minière: Kathleen Van den Berghe and her husband bought the property in 2010 and have invested heavily in restoring the "château", which is really more of an elegant manor house than a true château, as well as the domaine’s chai and vineyards. They spend part of their time here and part in Belgium. Certainly this is a domaine to follow.
Xavier Courant, Domaine de l'Oubliée: Newcomer Xavier Courant's wines are all named after films by the French filmmaker and screenwriter Bertrand Blier. He has six hectares of vines and his Tenue de soirée has give me particular pleasure.
Nau Frères: Abel Osorio is the most public face of this family estate towards the eastern end of the appellation. Their Vieilles Vignes is a treat!
Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
The neighbouring (and very similar appellation) to Bourgueil – it is impossible to tell where one ends and the other one starts. One particularity of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil is that there is a higher proportion of vines planted on gravel, creating an overall greater number of lighter wines, which may well explain the popularity of these wines in Parisian restaurants. The differences in from one producer to another are greater than those between the two appellations.
Yannick Amirault (also Bourgueil): Yannick, now joined by his son Benoît, is one of the Loire’s top red wine producers making lovely elegant, finely balanced and definitely age worthy wines. As usual there is a range of wines. La Coudraye from Bourgueil comes from lighter, sandier soils and is usually ready to drink a year or so after the vintage. The domaine’s top wines are La Petite Cave and le Grand Clos – both come from the Coteaux and will benefit from several years aging before opening.
Frédéric and Natalie Mabileau: Frédéric is the latest generation from this long established family of producers in St Nicolas. Now in his 40s Frédéric initially set up on his own making a modern style, fruity style of red. When his father, Jean-Paul retired he took over all of the family vineyards, totaling 27ha – mostly in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil but Frédéric also has some vines in Bourgueil, Anjou – adjacent to the western limit of Saint-Nicolas – as well as in Le Puy-Notre Dame, the source of the very good Saumur Blanc (100% Chenin Blanc).
Gérard Vallée, Domaine de la Cotelleraie: Gérard Vallée has some 26 hectares. His top wines are Le Vau Jaumier and L’Envolée.
Joël Taluau and Thierry Foltzenlogel: Joël Taluau has long been a reference in Saint-Nicolas. With Joël semi-retired, the estate continues to be well run by his daughter Clarisse and her husband, Thierry Foltzenlogel. The Vieilles Vignes is their top wine and the 1976 remains memorable.
Saumur, Saumur-Champigny, Coteaux de Saumur, Puy Notre-Dame
The Saumur appellations cover all colours and most styles as well as encompassing a considerable area - 39 communes across three départements, although the vast majority are in Maine et Loire.
Saumur-Champigny is probably the best known of all the Saumur appellations; it established its reputation in the bistros and brasseries of Paris, where it was viewed as a light, easy drinking red. This is certainly no longer the case, although there are still some lighter cuvees, which are bottled in the late winter and early spring following the vintage. Despite its success Saumur-Champigny is a relatively young appellation: the décret was passed in 1959. There are eight communes in the appellation, which is for red wine only, including the town of Saumur. The bedrock in the region is limestone with varying proportions of clay in the topsoil, as well as sand in some places such as Chaintres. From the Loire there is a steep rise up towards the village of Champigny followed by more gentle slopes as the land dips towards Chacé, Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg and the valley of the Thouet. The high proportion of limestone also makes the Saumur-Champigny zone well suited to growing Chenin Blanc. The commercial success, however, of Saumur-Champigny has meant that in recent years Chenin has lost ground to Cabernet Franc. As it is closer to the Atlantic, the average temperatures in Saumur-Champigny are a little higher than those in western Touraine.
Antoine Cristal is the father - or perhaps more correctly the great-grandfather - of the Saumur-Champigny vineyard. During his life he was a friend of the World War I-era French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau. Cristal’s most lasting memorials are the two walled vineyards – Le Clos Cristal (Cabernet Franc) and the Clos d'Entre les Murs (Chenin Blanc), the former of which he bequeathed to the Hospices de Saumur in 1928, shortly before his death.
Mirroring the progress made in Anjou over the past 20 years with the quality of the best sweet wines, Coteaux de Saumur has also seen similar improvement. Again the secret is in the vineyards with low yields, carefully spaced bunches, etc. In general the flavours of Coteaux de Saumur tend towards the citric spectrum rather than the apricot and peach often found in the Layon wines. Think of them as sweet wines rather than ascribing that extraordinarily foolish term, dessert wines. They will rarely match the sweetness of desserts. Rather, they are best enjoyed by themselves or with cheese, rich paté or even with creamy poultry or game dishes such as faisan à la Normande.
Saumur Puy Notre-Dame is a recent appellation for reds only, finally approved in 2009. The small town of Le Puy Notre-Dame is built on a limestone dome, a few miles southwest of Montreuil-Bellay. The base yield at 50hl/ha is 20% less than that for straight Saumur Rouge and there are restrictions on the use of weed killers. The appellation covers 17 communes - not just Le Puy.
Foucault Frères Charly and Nady - Clos Rougeard: There was a time in the late 80s and early 90s when the Foucault brothers were considered rather strange, bizarre exceptions with their insistence on low yields and their use of barriques. This was the era when light, easy quaffable Saumur-Champigny was the norm and hugely popular in Parisian brasseries. Nowadays the Foucaults are seen as role models and their wines can be difficult to buy, especially as their domaine remains small. They also make very fine Saumur Blanc as well as small quantities of Coteaux de Saumur from vines on the hill behind the Château de Brézé.
Antoine Foucault, Domaine du Collier: Antoine is the son of Charly and Françoise Foucault, and the Domaine du Collier is his own estate with vines at Brézé. His wines are vinified and aged in a spectacular cellar below his parents' house in Chace. The majority of Antoine's production is white - 100% Chenin Blanc. The whites are all barrel fermented and are notable for their purity and length.
Jean-Pierre Chevallier, Château de Villeneuve: This is an impeccable family estate, which over the past 20 years has been taken to new heights by the perfectionist Jean-Pierre Chevallier. His Saumur-Champigny wines are excellent and the white Saumur can a revelation, especially the barrel fermented Les Cormiers - one of the great whites of the Loire and amazingly reasonably priced. In good years Jean-Pierre makes several different cuvées of Samur-Champigny: the domaine, a Vieilles Vignes and Le Grand Clos. Unlike some producers Jean-Pierre will only release his top cuvées when the vintage and the resulting quality warrants it. In years such as 1998, 2004, and 2007, Jean-Pierre chose to blend all three cuvées together and to release only the domaine wine. In difficult vintages this has been one of the best wines from the appellation. I much admire this stance by Jean-Pierre, ensuring that his ‘prestige’ wines really live up to their name and are not released every year irrespective of the quality possible in that particular vintage. In 2012 Jean-Pierre made just one red and one white, so no Les Cormiers.
Thierry Germain, Domaine des Roches Neuves: Thierry was the first of the Germain family to move into the Loire. In 1991 he bought the domaine from Denis Duveau, who left the Loire for Chile. Thierry is a great enthusiast but he can change his views quite dramatically. Initially his wines were rich and powerful with the dry whites (Insolite -Saumur Blanc) often including some botrytised grapes. More recently Thierry has changed his style completely, looking to make very mineral, crystalline wines, and trying to pick as early as possible. This reversal has been particularly successful with the whites, while on occasion the reds have been picked too early, giving them a lean, greenish character.
Thierry Germain and Jean-Pierre Chevallier (Château de Villeneuve) are great friends and it is fascinating to see their different approaches. Jean-Pierre's wine style evolves gradually after careful consideration, while Thierry opts for quick, dramatic changes. The domaine is now biodynamic. Although I generally enjoy Thierry's wines, I buy considerably more of Jean-Pierre's Villeneuve.
Antoine Sanzay: Antoine is one of the promising new generation of vignerons. Sadly his father died when he was 12 and the grapes from the family vineyards went to the well run Cave Cooperative de Saint Cyr. Since he took over the running of the domaine in 2002, Antoine has been gradually freeing himself of the obligation to send his grapes to the co-op. This, however, has had the advantage of providing him with a source of income while he built up his sales. I was impressed with Antoine's wines when I first tasted them in 2005. I’m delighted that his Saumur-Champigny and Saumur Blanc continue to get better and better.
Antoine Foucault; Chenin Blanc
Domaine Filliatreau: Run by Paul and Frédéric Filliatreau, this is the largest individual estate in Saumur-Champigny. They also have Château Fouquet in Brézé (Saumur AOC). Consistent quality here over many years.
Edouard Pisani-Ferry, Château de Targé: Always among the better Saumur- Champigny properties, Targé has been on the up in recent years both for their Saumur-Champignys and the Saumur Blanc.
Domaine de Nerleux (Saumur, Saumur-Champigny, Coteaux de Saumur, Crémant de Loire): A large family estate in Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg making consistently reliable wines.
Romain Guiberteau: A very impressive producer of both Samur red and white.
Domaine Saint-Just: The domaine was established by the late Yves Lambert. It is now run by his son Arnaud. Good Saumur-Champignys in a modern style and very good whites. Now also looking after the vines of Château de Brézé.
Château de Parnay: This estate changed hands in 2006, with new owners now restoring the estate’s reputation and giving the wines the attention they deserve. The property includes Antoine Cristal’s famous Clos d'Entre les Murs, which is planted with Chenin Blanc.
Saumur Mousseux and Crémant de Loire
Although some sparkling wine is made throughout the Loire - from Gros Plant-based fizz in the Pays Nantais to some Gamay-based bubbles in the Côtes de Forez - Saumur is very much the sparkling capital of the Loire. The history of sparkling wine production here starts with Jean-Baptiste Ackerman in 1811.
All of the significant sparkling wine houses are based around Saumur, excepting Blanc Foussy (in Vouvray and Bléré) and Monmousseau (Montrichard), which is now part of Ackerman-Laurance. With the exception of Gratien & Meyer, which is on the eastern outskirts of the town, all the other leading houses are found in Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent, a western suburb of Saumur.
The limestone around Saumur is ideal for sparkling wine cellars: the rock is easy to quarry out and the resulting cellars have a constant all-around cool temperature.
It took a long time for the production quantities of Crémant to approach the numbers of Saumur Brut and Vouvray as, unlike in Alsace and Burgundy, the existing Loire appellations were allowed to continue alongside Crémant. As the rules were less strict, it is hardly surprising that many producers continue to prefer use the more economically attractive appellations of Montlouis, Saumur, Touraine and Vouvray. Also producers tend, when they have the option, to prefer a more specific geographic appellation such as Montlouis compared to the more "amorphous" Crémant de Loire.
The production of Crémant has finally overtaken that of Saumur. It has recently averaged around 100,000 hls (12.5 million bottles), while Saumur has now dipped below 90,000 (11.25 million bottles). In 2011 sales of Crémant de Loire overtook those of Saumur for the first time – 11.4 million bottles sold that year.
Langlois-Chateau: Founded in 1885 and owned by Champagne Bollinger since 1973, Langlois-Chateau was the first to opt to just make Crémant de Loire and dispense with the less rigorous Saumur Mousseux appellation. I think, with the exception of Trésor from Bouvet-Ladubay, that Langlois-Chateau is the best of the Saumur sparkling wine houses and that the wines are not overdosed. Too often the sparkling wines from the Saumur houses have too high a level of dosage, especially for the best sellers. Langlois-Chateau also makes a very good Vieilles Vignes Saumur Blanc from Chenin. It usually needs at least five years to start to show its best. They also have vines in Saumur-Champigny and Sancerre.
Bouvet-Ladubay: This is now owned by United Breweries, based in India. The parent company has had financial problems with its Kingfisher Airlines. However, this does not appear to have affected Bouvet-Ladubay, which is run by the charismatic Patrice Monmousseau and is involved in sponsoring and promoting a number of artistic events including the annual Journées du Livres et du Vin. There is also an art gallery attached to the production centre. Their Cuvée Trésor – both white and rosé – are my preferred wines from Bouvet-Ladubay.
Although there are some enjoyable sparkling wines from Saumur, my preference is for a Pétillant coming from an individual producer in Montlouis or Vouvray such as Jacky Blot, Domaine Huet, Philippe Foreau or Laurent Bonnard.
"Pet'Nats": There is currently fashion for Pet'Nats - Petillantes Naturelles. These are produced by the méthode ancestrale; the wines are bottled before the first fermentation has finished. There is often a considerable amount of residual sugar remaining when the wines are disgorged after four or five months. Pet'Nats are frothy fun.
Brief vintage guide for Saumur and Western Touraine reds: 2002-2012
2002: Difficult summer followed by fine autumn with drying east wind. Wines are delicate and beautifully balanced.
2003: Year of the heat wave. Very early vintage with atypical very ripe wines – more southern France than Loire. Despite doubts at the time by some vignerons, wines are holding up well, so they will probably be long lived.
2004: Large crop, wet August, dry September followed by wet latter part of October. Some agreeable surprises but wines can be tough and considerably less attractive than 2003 and 2005.
2005: Fine vintage, dry and hot year with excellent conditions during the vintage. Vignerons able to pick at their leisure. Quite tannic wines but plenty of fruit – high alcohol a problem with a few. Potential to age a long time.
2006: Hot July then hot and wet in September, which provoked rot; in contrast to 2005 this was a real race to get the grapes in. Fortunately they were ripe and these are attractive, soft wines but without the aging potential of 2005.
2007: Difficult year with wet summer and well below average sunshine. Vintage saved once more by better weather from mid-September. Light reds to be drunk young.
2008: Frost in April. Then another vintage saved by fine Indian summer from September through to end of October. Wines are much more structured than 2007. ‘Classic’ Loire reds with good potential to age.
2009: Good growing conditions with fine weather during vintage. Fine vintage with powerful wines and good aging potential.
2010: A late frost for some. Dry summer but with rain in late September causing some problems but fruit often very clean, despite a growing threat of rot in October, which led to a quick harvest. Another fine vintage: it will be very interesting to see how 2009 and 2010 develop over the years. A number of producers, Jacky Blot, for example consider 2010 to be superior to 2009 with a better balance. Long aging potential.
2011: Very early vintage and a complicated year. The season started out hot with flowering beginning in the early part of May, but from June forward the season was considerably cooler and wetter. Rot was a problem due to variable weather in September and October, but there was the added danger of picking too soon, as grapes needed time to ripen properly. Considerable variations in quality but some attractive wines. Probably not a candidate for long aging.
2012: One of the most difficult vintages for many years with production well down. Warm January, very cold February, hot, dry March, severe frost in mid-April, very wet from April to late July. Poor flowering. Dry August and September then record rainfall in October. Treat any prestige red cuvees made with due suspicion. Wines, I suspect, to drink young.
Older fine vintages
1999 (a surprise), 1997 (always soft and approachable), 1996 (lasting well), 1990 (always approachable), 1989 (great hot vintage), 1976 (certainly lasting well in Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil), 1964 (especially Chinon), 1959, 1949, 1947, 1921, 1893 (legendary and very early vintage).
This article was written in 2013.
Jacky and Joëlle Blot bought this 15ha property in 2022. This needs correction
Appreciate the reference to NB producers and the one's to watch. Great read.
Cheers! I can't wait for the final installment. This series is so densely packed with ripe treasures, it will require several tries.
Once again a great article, Jim! Thanks//