Wine region Loire
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The Loire, France's longest river at 1000 kilometres, is known for its outstanding wine-growing region and its beautiful landscape with its castles. Loire wines range from sweet to dry for the whites, the reds from refreshing to deep. The "Loire" comprises at least seven sub-regions with their own historical wine culture. Around 10% of France's total wine production is produced on 70,000 hectares, the second largest wine-growing region in the country - a remarkable figure!
(c)Philippe Cahonel
Loire Wines: a region between genius and madness
The diversity of Loire wines, sub-regions and soils is fascinating: electric Chenin Blanc around Anjou, expressive Sauvignon Blancs from Poully-Fumé on flint, Melon de Bourgogne, also known as Muscadet from the west of the Loire for fruit-intensive wines, and Cabernet Franc for dark-berried, velvety Loire wines that can age for a long time.
Differences between the regions are culturally determined. Individual winegrowers, not a towering giant like Marcel Lapierre in Beaujolais, have transformed the region. Olivier Cousin, Christian Chaussard, Claude Courtois, Thierry and Jean-Marie Puzelat brought about change in the 1990s. Winegrowers such as Mark Angeli and Nicolas Joly made the Loire famous for organic and biodynamic cultivation.Winegrowers such as Mark Angeli and Nicolas Joly made the Loire famous for organic and biodynamic cultivation.
Natural wines in the Loire
The Loire is home to one of the world's first biodynamically cultivated vineyards. Nicolas Joly is regarded as a mentor and pioneer in the region. Originally from Anjou, Nicolas Joly was initially an investment banker before taking over his parents' Château de la Roche-aux-Moines vineyard in Savennières in 1977. He converted the estate to biodynamic cultivation in 1984 and became one of the leading advocates of this method.
Joly's wines were stylistically ground-breaking in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. They were dry, unfiltered and with a high alcohol content. However, these wines were not always popular on the French natural wine market. Today, Joly is praised, especially abroad, for his influence on natural wine. His association Renaissance des Appellations has also helped to promote a rapprochement between the conservative French appellation authorities and the winegrowers who challenge them.
Thanks to their commitment and many young natural wine producers, the Loire is now one of the centres of the organic and natural wine movement. The list of impressive natural wine estates is correspondingly long. From Olivier Cousin, Christian Chaussard, Claude Courtois, Thierry and Jean-Marie Puzelat and Mark Angeli to Sebastian Dervieux, Jean-Pierre Robinot, Hervé Villemade, Richard Leroy and Alexandre Bain.
Local hero Chenin Blanc
The grape variety is as diverse as the landscape in which it grows. Chenin Blanc is considered to be a Loire wine that can be both full-bodied and creamy as well as energetic, fresh and crisp. A grape variety that adapts to any environment and always has something new to offer. It is sometimes referred to as the little twin of Chardonnay. This is because it has a similar versatility and complexity.
It can be vinified dry, semi-dry or sweet and offers a variety of flavours, from citrus and apricot to honey and spice. Chenin Blanc is also an excellent base wine for sparkling wines. It gives wines good acidity and structure. In France, it is the main ingredient in Crémant de Loire. However, the cultivation of Chenin Blanc is anything but easy. The grape variety is susceptible to diseases such as grey rot and botrytis. It is therefore important to grow it in a suitable location and to cultivate it carefully. However, botrytis can also be a blessing. It can lead to excellent noble sweet Chenins. These wines are often very complex and have flavours of honey, dried fruit and spices.
In South Africa, Chenin Blanc is now grown almost twice as often as in France. A unique style has developed there, characterised by fruity aromas and high acidity. Chenin Blanc is a versatile grape variety that can be vinified in many different styles. This makes it an exciting and versatile wine variety that has something to offer for every taste.
The renaissance of the dry Chenin in Anjou
In recent decades, the Anjou wine-growing region has become one of the leading areas for growing dry Chenin Blanc. This is a relatively new phenomenon that originated at the turn of the 20th century. In the post-war period, the region relied on chaptalisation to meet the demand for sweet wines. This involved increasing the sugar content of the must by adding sugar. This led to a deterioration in the quality of the sweet wines, as they were often harvested underripe and had a high sulphite content.
A change took place in the 1990s. Organic farming and biodynamics went hand in hand with the search for greater purity in wine production. This led to a focus on dry wines rather than sweet wines, as the latter practically require filtration and a high sulphite dosage to prevent secondary fermentation. The winemakers who wanted to avoid these interventions turned to dry white wines and rediscovered one of the great French white wine terroirs.
Cremant de Loire
Chenin Blanc is not only a great grape variety for dry white wines, but can also produce excellent sparkling wines. At Drops, you can try the wonderful cremants from Liv Vincendeau, who presses fantastic bubbles on volcanic rock. Crémant de Loire is the equivalent of champagne, but from the Loire.
The wines are varied and versatile, as they can be made from Chenin Blanc grapes from different soils and climatic zones along the Loire. The acidity of the grapes is an important factor in the quality of the sparkling wine, and the region is an ideal growing area for Crémant de Loire as the river creates a cool and temperate climate. This is important to preserve the acidity of the grapes. Unfortunately, it is also getting hotter and drier in the Loire. This could have a negative impact on the quality of the Crémant de Loire. It is therefore advisable to enjoy these delicious sparkling wines now, while they still taste so good.
