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Loire Fine wine
Among all of France’s wine regions, the Loire Valley is the one that boasts arguably the greatest array of different wine styles. And while UK customers have traditionally known it primarily for its white wines – most notably the perennially popular Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, in recent years, the reds have gained a healthy plaudits and profile.
The Loire: Elegance and finesse from a storied wineland
The Loire’s white wines go from the supremely refreshing, light-bodied Muscadet all the way to the luscious, sweet iterations of Vouvray. But it is arguably for Sauvignon Blanc that the Loire is best known, a grape variety that spans such appellations as Pouilly Fumé, Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Touraine. The largely linear, resolutely dry renderings move from the zesty, refreshing, citrus-based tones of Sancerre, to the more rounded, sometimes oak-influenced Pouilly Fumé. In the same way, the Loire’s ‘second’ grape variety, Chenin Blanc, moves from the rounded, baked apple tones of Anjou and Savennières to the even richer, textured, sometimes honeyed Vouvray. On the red side, Cabernet Franc dominates, with the likes of Chinon, Saumur and Bourgueil yielding both fruity, upfront wines to be enjoyed young along with more structured cuvées with the ability to age.
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Loire wine FAQs
What are the key white grape varieties of the Loire?
The Loire Valley is among France’s most renowned regions for white wine, and almost certainly the region with the greatest variety of styles. While Burgundy is devoted to Chardonnay, Alsace revolves around Riesling, and Bordeaux blends Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the Loire harnesses three main grape varieties across a vast range of styles. Muscadet offers a supremely refreshing, light-bodied option; its Sauvignon Blancs, from Sancerre to Pouilly Fumé, set the global benchmark, ranging from bracingly dry to rich and rounded; while the hugely exciting Chenin Blancs – both sweet and dry, oaked and unoaked – offer an even more dizzying span of stylistic diversity that is hard to match anywhere else on Earth.
What is the style of Loire Valley red wines?
The Loire’s red wines have, in recent years, gained a significant following, not least among wine commentators and critics, largely on account of their lighter style and adaptability. Most of the top examples herald from Cabernet Franc, notably in the appellations of Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny, where they yield fresh, bright, often herbal-tinged red fruits and lively acidity that makes them not only supremely refreshing but food-friendly. Such wines can work lightly chilled in the summer months – as can the Pinot Noir-driven renderings of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, which tend to showcase more vibrant cherry fruit.