Sunday July 19, 2009
More garden varieties
Uncorked
By Ed Soon
In this final part of his tour of the Loire Valley, our columnist looks at wines from Touraine and Central Loire.
IN the last two instalments of Uncorked, we looked at three of France’s Loire Valley wine sub-regions – The Pays Nantais, Anjou and Saumur.
We conclude the tour with a visit to Touraine and Central Loire.
Touraine
Touraine’s Vouvray wine, made from the Chenin Blanc grape, has many guises, from sparkling and still to dry and sweet. The commune of Chinon in Touraine was home to King Henry II of England (who was also Duke of Anjou); the region passed back to the French when Philip II of France took it over in 1204.
It was Touraine also, with its fertile valleys, that gave the Loire region its tagline, “Jardin de la France” (the Garden of France). There is plenty of local produce in this area, from cheeses and pork rillettes, to fruit and fish.
The most celebrated wine of Touraine is Vouvray. Made from the Chenin Blanc grape, this white wine has many guises. It can be sparkling or still, and comes in dry (indicated as sec on the label), lightly sweet (demi sec) or sweet (moelleux) versions.
Vouvray is one of the longest-lived wines, because of its high acidity. This is thanks to the growing conditions in the area, primarily the limestone soil and cold climate which cause the vines to struggle to ripen.
I recall being offered a glass of 30-year-old Vouvray that showed a golden patina, had a bouquet of chestnuts, herbs and preserved fruit and tasted of honey and fresh fruit – and was as smooth as silk!
Montlouis is the other Chenin Blanc-based white wine. It is similar in style to Vouvray but little known outside of France. Other Touraine wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc and its pink wines from Gamay with some Cabernet and Cot or Pineau d’Aunis grapes thrown in.
If you are into red wines, the Touraine communes of Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Cherverny offer immensely drinkable wines. These are usually made from Cabernet France, but in Cherverny, they can also be made from Gamay or Pinot Noir.
I always enjoy Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil wines because of their light body but also because they have flavours of red fruits and green peppers.
Over time, they develop a bouquet of cooked fruit and are spicy. The Cherverny wines are best enjoyed for their soft tannins and smooth finish.
Touraine Azay-le-Rideau, Touraine-Amboise and Touraine-Mesland are other wines of the Touraine AOC. The first comes in white and rosé while you’ll find white, red and rosé versions of the second and third.
Yet another Touraine wine is the Touraine Noble Joué – a rosé wine made from a blend of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris or Malvoisie and Pinot Noir.
Cour-Cheverny is a tiny appellation producing white wine from the grape called Romorantin, whilst Coteaux du Loir (AOC) produces whites, reds and rosés. In Jasnières AOC, the Chenin Blanc white wine is worth seeking out for its aging potential (up to 10 years).
Central Loire
The wines of Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé are the famous wines of the Loire.
Here, in the “heart of France’’, where summers are hot and winters are harsh, the Sauvignon Blanc grapes thrive on mainly chalky soil.
Sancerre is a town but also the name of the famous Sauvignon Blanc white wine with fruity aromas of grapefruit and green apples, mixed with unique flinty, mineral flavours.
Sancerre wines have seduced aficionados because of its terroir. Wines made from grapes grown on different soils take on different characters. Clay-limestone soil produces structured wines; stony soil of marl and gravel called “les caillottes’’ produce elegant, lighter wines; flint soil produces structured wines with a unique taste.
In fact, wine experts speak often of the “terres blanches’’ (white chalky soil) that contributes to the “weight’’ in Sancerre wines.
The red wine lover will not be disappointed with Sancerre as there are some red and pink wines produced here too.
The other famous wine of the Central Loire is Pouilly-Fumé. Located across the river from Sancerre, this area is planted with the same Sauvignon Blanc grapes. However, the terroir is different here – the soil is a mixture of marne, limestone, clay and flint. As a result, the wines are fuller in taste and are endowed with a mineral complexity.
Do note that you should never mistake a Pouilly-Fuissé of Burgundy (made from Chardonnay) for a Pouilly-Fumé. I did it once when asked to organise a Sauvignon Blanc tasting and it was embarrassing!
The Sauvignon Blanc lover will be delighted to know that there are alternatives to the famous Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé wines.
The Saugvignon Blanc based wines of Quincy and Reuilly are yet to hit the mainstream and so are still quite affordable. Quincy whites are fragrant with ripe apples, honey, gunflint and white flowers. Reuilly whites are herbal-like, lighter and leaner than Sancerre but are nevertheless just as delicious.
There is some rosé produced nearby, and Pinot Noir and Gamay are made into a red wine in the Coteaux du Giennois.
I am sure you must be as impressed as I am with the diversity and range of wines available in this region of France.
Ed Soon is a qualified oenologist and has run wine shops and worked as a winemaker in various countries. He now writes and teaches about wine around Asia.
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