If you’ve already read part 1 and part 2 of this three part series, you’ll know that Loire Valley is a sure bet when it comes to good quality white wine. But for me, some of the most interesting yet neglected red wines of France are also from Loire.

Cabernet Franc is the key grape variety, which you’ll also see in Saint-Émilion and in other parts of Bordeaux as part of a blend. Vitally it needs less heat to fully ripen, so it is the grape of choice for many winemakers in Loire. It is lighter and less tannic, and can actually smell of unripe Cabernet Sauvignon as it can be very herbaceous. An intriguing and attractive smell of pencil shavings is cited as a common characteristic on the nose.

Chinon

The first time I came across Chinon was when I was on holiday in Loire in 2009. It was in a restaurant in the regions capital, Tours. My now fiancée wasn’t gone on it at first but then warmed to it. It was dry, light, herbaceous and served lightly chilled, but that’s the way the locals enjoy Chinon. I thought it excelled with the food we were having, the fruit and the acidity combining beautifully.

You can also get fuller, richer styles of Chinon, like those of Bourgueil (below). Whereas the lighter wines generally come from sand and gravel sites near the Loire river, the fuller styles come from limestone soils. Some will benefit from bottle aging, but a lot of those lighter styles are best enjoyed in their youth for their freshness and vibrancy.

Bourgueil

The medium bodied wines of Bourgueil typically have more prominent tannins than those of Chinon, and fragrant aromas of raspberries and more of those signature pencil shavings. The wines from warmer and riper vintages can age particularly well and become even more funky and interesting. St Nicolas-de-Bourgueil covers a small area to the west of the region. It has lighter soils and so produces lighter wines that mature a little earlier. The difference between the two regions, and indeed Chinon, can be sussed out in blind tastings by only the sharpest of palates. Bourgueil also does some very pleasant dry rosé made from Cabernet Franc, as I discovered to my advantage on holidays.

Saumur & regional Touraine

Saumur is a south westerly extension of Touraine, with Cabernet Franc being the dominant variety, which can be blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d’Aunis. Refreshing, light and fruity, it is made on soils similar to that of Chinon and Bourgueil. The region of Saumur-Champigny produces Loire’s most fashionable red, well, certainly in the eyes of Parisians. Silky, textured and fragrant, these wines are adored within France, but like many of Loire’s reds, receive little credit or recognition outside of France.

In the wider Touraine, Gamay, Côt (Malbec) and Pinot Noir are also grown. Unfortunately the chances of trying any of these wines in Ireland is remote because there simply isn’t the demand here. That’s not to say, outside of Loire, that you won’t pick up a few curiosities in the bustling restaurants of Paris or the country’s other major cities.

Spotlight on Loire: Part 1 and Part 2. To view our sale on the wines of Loire, click here.

The array of white wine styles coming out of Loire Valley make it an intriguing place for wine lovers. We’ll take a look at the wines of Touraine, including Vouvray, and we’ll also have a glance at Muscadet. Be sure to try a wine from these regions if you can get your hands on them. The key difference is in the grape variety they specialise in. Out of the three, the regional whites of Touraine should be the easiest to acquire.

To view my first post on Loire, which covers Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, click here.

Touraine

It is known as ‘the garden of France’, beautiful Touraine boasts the most grand of castles and stately homes. Château de Chambord and Château de Chenonceau (pictured) – are a must see if you ever go there. Centred on the town of Tours, Touraine is a vast area encompassing the famous red appellations of Chinon, Bourgueil and St Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, as well as the white appellation of Vouvray (below).

Whites labelled Touraine come from the wider Touraine area and are mostly made from Sauvignon Blanc, which makes it a good, less expensive alternative to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. The wines are crisp, dry and racy, with the best Sauvignon de Touraine rivalling those from their premium neighbours. Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Arbois may also be used in white Touraine blends and popular red grape varieties include Gamay, Cabernet and Côt (Malbec).

Vouvray

This is where the whites of the Loire get really interesting. The distinctive wines of Vouvray are made from Chenin Blanc and in the best years they can produce wines that live as long as the world’s oldest Rieslings. The wines are normally labelled sec (dry) or demi-sec (medium dry), with the naturally high acidity of the Chenin grape, particularly this far from the equator, balancing sweetness in the demi-sec wines, but also giving longevity. In warm vintages when sugar levels are at their highest, it’s worth checking out the Moelleux-style sweet wines. Vouvray at its best will produce fabulously complex white wines, appley and floral in their youth, and nutty and almondy with age.

Muscadet

‘Melon de Bourgogne’ is the official title given to the grape variety used in Muscadet. It can also be referred to as Muscadet, or simply ‘Melon’. Hailing from Burgundy, it is now at home in the far west of the Loire Valley. The better vineyards are in the Sèvre et Maine subregion south and east of Nantes, where vines are planted on well-drained soils. Skin contact, lees (dead deposits of yeast) stirring and barrel fermentation for the best wines all help to give greater weight and richness. Wines that have ‘sur lie’ on the label have been aged for some time on lees. Light, fresh and crisp with green apple and grassy aromas, a must try with oysters.

Sparkling

The Loire Valley is France’s largest producer of sparkling wines outside of the Champagne region. The majority of these Crémant de Loire are produced around the city of Saumur and are a blend of the Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. In the cooler years producers in Vouvray might be better using their yields as a base for sparkling wine, but year in year out there are many excellent sparkling Chenins from this area.

In the final part of this series, we’ll look at the magical reds of Loire Valley. To view part one, click here. To view our sale on the wines of Loire, click here.

Without a doubt the cool climate Loire Valley deserves to be one of the world’s heavyweights when it comes to wine. It is arguably where the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc is made and that’s what most people know it for. But otherwise it can be somewhat overlooked. Some think that because it is so far north, the wines don’t achieve that sweet ripeness needed to become commercial and mainstream. Maybe that’s a good thing for the curious wine drinker.

Over this three part series we’ll look at what Loire does well in addition to the crisp, racy whites from Sauvignon Blanc, including some amazingly distinctive reds made from Cabernet Franc and not forgetting the best wine match for oysters in the shape of Muscadet. First of all, though, I think the famous Sauvignon Blanc producing sub-regions of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé merit a short post of their own.

Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are to the far east of the Loire, actually closer to Chablis (northern Burgundy) than Muscadet in the region’s far west. Sancerre is a hilltop town (pictured, in the distance) on the left bank of the Loire River, and the area surrounding it has been a prime site for viticulture since Roman Times. It was in the 1970s that the modern commercial success of both Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé really got underway as they became the must have white for any quality restaurant.

Within the Sancerre region itself are varied terroirs, and by that I mean areas with a different soil make-up and micro-climate, which directly effect the style of the wine, sometimes in a very subtle way and sometimes not. The western vineyards predominantly consist of clay and limestone, which can make the wine quite powerful and intense. The more gravely vineyards lend more restraint and elegance, while the flint (silex) laden soils closer to the town can produce wines that are long living and particularly perfumed with excellent minerality and notes of ‘gunflint’.

On the other side of the river, the wines of Pouilly-Fumé from mainly limestone based soils produce a similar style. A blind tasting of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé would be a tough test for any wine drinker, but Pouilly-Fumé wouldn’t tend to be quite as diverse in terms of terroir. Some vineyards are rich in flint, however, so that distinctive smoky gunflint character can be found in the better wines. What Pouilly-Fumé doesn’t do is red wine. Sancerre has some success with light reds and rosés made from Pinot Noir. Both can use oak in their Sauvignon Blanc, but more often than not it is only to give texture and palate weight as opposed to making the wine taste oaky.

Ultimately both regions produce very lean, green and racy Sauvignon Blanc’s with glorious palate cleansing acidity. Like everywhere you’ll get some that don’t do justice, but in general both regions produce high quality wines. They can be enjoyed on their own, or ruined with anything sweet (sweet and acid don’t mix – it will make the wine taste bitter), so when pairing with food go for something with high acidity. Traditionally the goats cheese of Sancerre is one of the best natural matches, but any good Irish goats cheese will do the same job.

In part 2 we’ll explore the other white wines of Loire Valley, as well as a little sparkling wine. Click here to view our sale on Loire wines.

Melon de Bourgogne is its name. Or Muscadet as you may know it. There is probably more of this stuff produced in Loire Valley than any other wine. Not to be confused with Muscat, “Melon”, as it is nicknamed, originally hails from Burgundy, where its demise came in the 18th century after appellations laws dictated that it was to be destroyed.

Today, Melon is thriving in the far west of the Loire Valley, around the city of Nantes, edging into Brittany near the mouth of the Loire River. The main appellation is AOC Muscadet, producing a lot of uninteresting generic wines. The better vineyards are in the Sèvre et Maine subregion south and east of Nantes, where vines are planted on well-draining soils of shale and gneiss, over a bedrock of granite, helping to make for the finest quality Muscadet.

Skin contact, lees stirring and barrel fermenation for the best wines all help to give greater weight and richness. ‘Lees’ refers to dead deposits of yeast. Wines that have ‘sur lie’ on the label have been aged for some time on lees, providing a better depth of flavour. The best have subtle yeasty aromas as well as attractive green apple and grassy aromas. The alcohol level is moderate (usually 11.5-12%) and the acidity keeps the wine light, fresh and crisp. Some might even have a saltiness to them and a tingly light fizz from a touch of carbon dioxide.

All in all, Muscadet, or Melon, is neither great or Burgundian. It’s a pretty neutral wine, but that doesn’t mean that the curious wine drinker has no place for it. Far from it. Try it as an aperitif or with shellfish to get the full experience. Even if you don’t like the wine, you’ll fall in love with the aphrodisiac effects of the oysters – or so they say.

Nelly Marzelleau’s Presbyteres Muscadet Sevre et Maine, bottled ‘sur lie’ ensuring prolonged contact with fine lees, is well worth a punt at the price.

The results for Sancerre 2009 have been published in Decanter‘s September issue, with the vintage being described by judges as atypical and inconsistent, despite some very attractive, drink-now wines. One critic described it as “a Jekyll and Hyde vintage”, although Loire 2009 as a whole was considered a good year.

Sancerre is known for its terroir and is believed by many to be the world’s best region for Sauvignon Blanc. Herbaceous flavours, lively acidity and a flinty minerality are some of the famous trademarks.

The 2009 vintage was hot, and it was difficult as a result. After bottling it was noted that alcohol was a problem (some over 15% ABV), although the better examples mellowed down with time. The trick was to pick at the optimum point in time, when the desired alcohol level and flavour profile could be achieved. Unfortunately for some, there was no window of opportunity to do this, so grapes were left on the vine for longer than they should have been, impacting on final alcohol levels.

Another criticism was the number of faults. According to one critic, there were only five or six screwcaps among 112 wines, yet in the space of 40 wines they came across five corked wines. One of the replacement bottles was also corked and another was oxidised. I will continue to bang the drum for screwcaps. These kind of wines need to be fresh and that’s what screwcap will bring, whilst drastically reducing the number of corked and oxidised bottles.

Decanter’s piece on this finished by ensuring consumers that there are still good buys out there. This is a low yielding vintage after all, and with so many micro-climates, you can’t tarnish all with the same brush, but they urge consumers to buy with caution.

It was with sheer delight that we discovered our JJ Breton La Clochette Sancerre receive ‘best value’ Sancerre of 2009, earning a truly brilliant 17.5 out of 20 points. That’s a bit of a snip at €14.99.

“Lovely mineral fruit – serious, complex, sleek and long. Powerful and elegant; wears its weight lightly. Terrific.” (17.5/20, ‘Highly recommended’ & ‘Best Value Sancerre of 2009′)

Full article available in Decanter‘s September 2010 issue.

Yes, it’s about two months too late, but better late than never. Our Domaine Pre Baron Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine was recommended by Tim Atkin on BBC’s Saturday Morning Kitchen back in August.

I’d completely forgotten about it, until one of the girls brought a bottle along to the Bandon Wine Club last week, which, unbeknown to me, she’d picked up from us earlier that day (Curious Mike was manning the shop at the time). It was a blind tasting and the Pre Baron was the first of the night.

It didn’t take me long to decipher its origin. I hadn’t realised it was the Pre Baron, but after my stint in Loire Valley during the summer, I had a fairly confident guess that it was a Sauvignon Blanc from that region. I was fortunate enough to visit the winery, just outside the village of Oisly – an absolutely gorgeous spot.

You may be familiar with the better known Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé Sauvignon Blanc of Loire, but Touraine offers superb alternatives, and usually at lower prices. Touraine Sauvignon is typically light, elegant, and a bit riper in flavour than the Sauvignon from the Upper Loire.

The Pre Baron has prominent grassy, gooseberry aromas on the nose, with salivating acidity and plenty of refreshing citrusy characters that dominate the palate. Enjoy young, as in drink within three years of vintage. You certainly don’t have to be young yourself to enjoy this one.

Click here and scroll down to view all posts of my week in Loire Valley (includes a ghastly video).

Just east of Tours we drove to the small town of Vouvray, where we ventured off the beaten track to visit more small producers and take in the incredible scene of endless vineyards. Here’s a short clip…

Vouvray AOC is a premium appellation for Chenin Blanc. The wines may be bone-dry (sec), delightfully off dry (demi-sec), medium, sweet or sparkling. Most are medium-bodied with high acidity, unoaked, with citrus, green tropical fruit notes (lemon, apple, pineapple), and some vegetal aromas (green leaf).

Vouvray has great terroir. Those from clay soil might lean towards a fruitier flavour, while those made on flinty clay soil may have more minerality. Typically drunk young, the best years of Vouvray have been known to produce wines that last up to 100 years in excellent condition, showing that when done well, Chenin Blanc has great aging potential.

The Vouvray wine cellar, or Cave des Producteurs des Grands Vins de Vouvray, was a very interesting visit. Formed over forty years ago, it’s a “common storage” for a large group of growers. A wine-tasting board decides which wines will be aged and the cellar has a capacity of 2 million bottles.

I was fortunate enough to try a number of lovely examples, including a very golden coloured Moelleux. The older versions in particular exuded quince, honey and almond with great all round complexity. And those sparkling Vouvrays just rock – yet another one to look out for.

So, to conclude ‘A week in Loire Valley’, without further delay and as promised, here is Curious Wines first tasting video from Loire Valley, via Bandon, to your living room (or wherever you are).

What did you expect, eh? Here’s our two stellar Vouvrays.

Our first night camping in Saumur (pictured) was a little rough with no foam to lie on, but the wine certainly helped to anaesthetise us. With a taste of Bourgueil, Saumur and Chinon under the belt, Touraine AOC was next on the hit list.

The Chenin Blanc of Chateau de l’Aulee had our attention after the spectacular Langeais Castle. ‘Le Chateau White’ is the entry level Chenin, a fairly uncomplicated, refreshing, fruity drop with a hint of minerality. Definitely a lunchtime wine for the ladies, and it would have matched perfectly with grilled fish and salad. The ‘Vieilles Vignes’ dry white (again, 100% Chenin Blanc) was made from smaller batches that grow on vines over 40 years old. Time in oak added a fuller, richer body to this one, so it would cope well with veal, chicken or goats cheese.

Here’s a snippet of the grounds of Chateau de l’Aulee, with our signature shaky camera work.

The biggest surprise was the quality of the sparkling Chenin Blanc. The ‘Intense’ (Méthode Traditionnelle), which consisted of 20% Chardonnay, had a biscuity nose with rich fruit flavours and the structure and length to match. An absolute winner. ‘Le Chateau’ Chinon AOC Rouge satisfied my craving from our previous exploration of Cabernet Franc. Again, light and bouncing with fruit.

Touraine AOC also produces superb Sauvignon Blanc. Unfortunately we didn’t make it as far east as Sancerre, but I wasn’t too concerned with the quality we had on the doorstep of our lightweight two-man tent. Included in our visits were a number of very proud vintners making tiny quantities for local consumption, and our very own Domaine du Pre Baron, who again reminded me of why Touraine has such an established reputation for producing top end Sauvi’s at low end prices.

On Friday’s post (Part three) I’ll bring you through Vouvray and unveil Curious Wines first wine tasting video (the first of many I suspect). In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a bit of Parisian musique from the Montmarte district, just outside the Sacré-Cœur. Aww, they’re so cute!

Last week I was fortunate enough to get a break from talking wine to focus purely on the tasting. Oh, and this was all between discovering some of Europe’s most spectacular medieval castles (including the one pictured), beautiful villages and world-class cuisine.

After spending a couple of days in Paris, my girlfriend and I ventured south to the picturesque town of Tours in the heart of the Loire. First of all we travelled west through three of Loire’s AOCs; Bourgueil, Chinon and Saumur.

Our first stop in Bourgueil was Nau Freres and we were lucky enough to get a guided tour of the vineyard. You can see the grapes need more time before they are to be harvested (September/October).

After viewing the wine making facility, we were then taken into the caves (cellar), which was a great experience.

The grape of choice in Bourgueil and Chinon is Cabernet Franc. I recently wrote a blog post on this rather unfashionable varietal. Some may find the young wines a little harsh, but I tried the 2004 Vieilles Vignes from Nau Freres, and it was just superb. The 2003 was supposedly one of the best vintages in a decade, so if you see one grab it with both hands. The dry Rose was a real treat as well, so we brought one back to the campsite.

The light and fruity Cabernet Franc from Loire is a great summer wine. Think red fruits, black currant and green capsicum. Chinon has a similar terroir to Bourgueil, and I’ll be tasting one next to a cheap and nasty Malbec from Valencay in the third and final part of this mini series at the end of the week – so be there or be square!

Cabernet Franc is a wonderful grape. It’s been hiding in the shadow of Cabernet Sauvignon for too long now, and I for one will be starting to take it more seriously, especially as I’ll be sampling my way through Loire Valley’s finest next month.

It is more precocious than Cabernet Sauvignon, which would be a close cousin to Frank… sorry, I mean Franc. It buds and ripens at least a week before, making it particularly useful in Bordeaux’s cooler vintages when the more famous Cabernet may not reach full ripeness at all.

It’s a lighter, less tannic version of its relative, with aromas that are often more herbaceous, or even floral. In Bordeaux, it is usually part of the blend of red grapes although, unusually, it makes up two-thirds of the blend of Chateau Cheval Blanc, a famous first growth property in St-Emilion.

Cabernet Franc was as widely planted as Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux in the 1960s. True, this isn’t the case anymore as it’s been displaced by Merlot, but it maintains strongholds, such as on the right bank in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. Cabernet Sauvignon is seen as too much of a risk here as it may not fully ripen.

In Loire Valley, when the grapes ripen fully, Cabernet Franc produces a beautiful silky texture with soft tannins and a characteristic aroma not unlike pencil shavings. With their relatively high acidity, they are not the most fashionable wines in Ireland, but they respond well to being lightly chilled and so are particularly useful for red wine lovers in the heat of the summer.

The fact that Cab Franc is not as pronounced as Cab Sauv in many quarters, including in body and in tannins, may be the reason it’s not as mainstream as its counterpart as a single varietal. If you get your hands on one and are not mad about it on its own initially, try it with food. It’s well worth a shot.

Julian at BubbleBrothers raves about Loire reds, so I’m looking forward to trying more. Hey, you know me, any excuse.