Loire Valley Whites
Vintage image sourced on Pinterest
The seasonal fake-out that is Spring in Denmark these days has me hankering for places where Spring is lush, romantic and picturesque. Ideally bursting with colorful blooms. Preferably with scenic vistas and calming waters. Even better if there are romantic castles galore. So yes, I’m envisioning flowy floral dresses and frolicking in the Loire Valley.
As always, one of our best options for travel-in-a-bottle is wine. This tasting takes us to the garden of France, the valley of the kings. Let’s sip our way into an idyllic Spring with the whites of the Loire Valley, shall we?
Stuff to know
The Loire river is France’s longest, cutting a swatch across central France from the elevated Massif Central in the East through to the Atlantic at Nantes. The Loire Valley, with its rolling hills, fertile abundance and copious castles, is known as the garden of France. This is where the kings of France staked out their (usually massive) plots of land for centuries, building castles that sometimes exemplified a particular architectural era…and sometimes became mishmashes of several, far too easy to get lost within.
Wines have been made in the Loire Valley since Romans were involved, and the region has long benefitted from its waterways, even beyond the river’s effects on terroir. Pre-trains and cars, rivers meant wine barrels could cost-effectively make moves, such that the wines of the Loire were, for many years, the go-to wines for trend-setting Parisians.
Today, the Loire Valley is known for being a hotbed for organic and biodynamic winemaking, home to many of France’s most terroir-focused vignerons. It’s also known for Sancerre, long considered a French café must-have, within France and abroad. And if it wasn’t already popular enough, Taylor Swift’s Sancerre endorsement only increased demand, so that these days, prices are on the rise and importers duke it out to secure the few available bottles from each known producer.
Sancerre has also benefitted from having an easy-to-pronounce name, with the added bonus of being helpfully alliterative with its grape variety, Sauvignon Blanc. Elsewhere in the Loire, things aren’t always so easy, especially for the non-Francophiles. Wines are, as usual, named by their respective regions, so if you’re not “in the know,” it’s hard to know what’s in the bottle.
It is possible to make things simple though. In essence, there are just 3 grape varieties that make up most of the white wines in the Loire Valley: Melon in the West, near the Atlantic, Chenin Blanc in the Central Loire, and Sauvignon Blanc in the East as you head toward Burgundy and the higher grounds of the Massif Central.
This tasting zooms in on the wines made from these 3 grapes in the various regions of the Loire Valley, with 5 dry and 1 sweet white wine.
What to look for in this tasting
The easiest way to understand the taste profiles in these wines is in terms of grape variety, though of course there are producer- and appellation-specific variations that are described more in the individual wines below. All three grapes are high-acid whites, though their individual characteristics vary widely.
Melon-based wines, the Muscadets, are often subtle, known for their high acidity, light body, low-ish alcohol levels and quiet flavors of green apple, lemon, lime, oyster shells and sometimes a salty, briny flavor thanks to ocean-facing vineyards. The ones with lees aging, typically indicated with the words “sur lie” on the bottle, have bread-y, brioche-y flavors and richer, weightier textures.
Chenin Blanc-based wines, the Vouvray and Savennières, tend to hvae aromas and flavors of green or golden apple, chamomile, pear, lemon, honey and quince, with a signature smoky note often described as wet wool. These wines have bracingly high acidity and moderate alcohol levels, and are made in a wide range of styles. It isn’t always super clear whether a particular wine is dry or sweet, especially in Vouvray. Look for a “sec” on the label when you can find it, or at least know that if it says “demi-sec” or “moelleux,” then it’s not dry.
Sauvignon Blanc-based wines, the Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, are known for being subtler and “green-er” than their Kiwi counterparts, with equally racy acidity. Aromas and flavors of grapefruit, gooseberry, fresh-cut grass, green bell pepper and even the occasional passion fruit can show up in warmer years, while smokiness, flintiness and chalkiness reign as the oft-discussed hallmarks of these regions’ wines. Some wines have a roundness and richer texture thanks to fermentation in old, neutral oak casks and lees aging.
The wines
#1: Sancerre
Sancerre (”sahn-sehr”) is purportedly one of Taylor Swift’s favorite wines, for all the Swifties out there. For the rest of us, Sancerre, located in Central France in the Loire Valley, is already one of the world’s most famous wine styles, which is a pretty solid endorsement as it is. For some, Sancerre is the gold standard for Sauvignon Blanc, much like White Burgundy is the gold standard for Chardonnay. While I’m more inclined to approach individual wines each on their own merits, there is something to be said for the Sancerre style.
Sancerre lies in the Loire’s east, closer to Burgundy than to the Atlantic, which is reflected in the continental climate. In this region, hillside slopes maximize sunlight and warmth, and the most prestigious wines come from the famed terres blanches, the same Kimmeridgian limestone and marl soils known in Chablis. Silex soils are also well known, offering a more flinty or smoky edge in the wines.
Sauvignon Blanc vines dominate vineyard plantings, as the region’s signature grape. A combination of a cooler climate with less sunshine and differing winemaking techniques contributes to Sancerre’s distinctive style: restraint, rather than fruitiness. Subtlety, rather than boldness. Sancerre wines still carry Sauvignon Blanc’s distinctive “green-ness,” with racy acidity and aromas and flavors of fresh-cut grass, green bell pepper, grapefruit and gooseberry, but the aromas aren’t usually leaping out of the glass the way they do with most New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines. Winemakers in Sancerre tend to prefer warmer fermentation temperatures that reduce the fruit expression, and some even use old oak casks or age the wines on lees, adding more roundness, texture and weight to the wines, making them feel creamier on the palate.
What to ask for: Ask by style name
Alternative(s): Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly, Coteaux du Giennois
#2: Pouilly Fumé
Pouilly Fumé (”pwee-yee foo-may”) and Sancerre border each other, divided by the Loire river as it heads south toward Nevers. Pouilly Fumé lies on the eastern side of the river, where the hills are fewer, though the soil types mimic each other, with the same prestige given to the Sauvignon Blanc vines grown in terres blanches (Kimmeridgian limestone marl) and silex soils.
In Pouilly-Fumé, named for the village of Pouilly-sur-Loire, with the added “fumé,” which means “smoky,” the wines are, unsurprisingly, known for their flinty, smoky character. When compared to Sancerre, these wines are often rounder, weightier, and even more restrained.
As Sancerre’s fame has grown, so has Pouilly Fumé’s. Some seek an alternative when they can’t get their favorite Sancerres, and some simply come to prefer the Pouilly Fumé style. Expect to find Sauvignon Blanc’s “green” character, with flavors of fresh cut grass, green bell pepper, grapefruit, gooseberry or passion fruit, but with far more subtlety than you’d experience in a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Like in Sancerre, winemakers sometimes use old oak casks or lees aging to add roundness, texture and weight to the wines.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly, Touraine
#3: Vouvray
Vouvray (“Voov-ray”) lies just east of Tours, in the Touraine region in the central Loire, and the wines here are made from Chenin Blanc, usually grown on slops overlooking the Loire river. Chenin Blanc is a highly versatile grape, with wines made in styles ranging from still to sparkling, dry to sweet. Vouvray, too, does it all, so be sure to look for Vouvray Sec, indicating the dry, still wine style that fits best in this tasting. If you see “demi-sec” or “moelleux” on the bottle, the wine will be off-dry or sweet, which isn’t recommended for this tasting.
Chenin Blanc is often considered the most romantic of grapes, the kind of wine you envision sipping on a blanket spread under an old tree on a perfectly warm, sunny day. Chenin Blanc has bracingly high acidity, and it often sneaks up on you as the wine lingers on your palate. Vouvray’s aromas and flavors can include green or golden apple, pear, lemon, honey, quince paste, chamomile and smoky aromas sometimes described as wet wool or lanolin.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternatives: Montlouis-sur-Loire, Anjou
#4: Saviennières
Saviennières (”sah-vun-yehr”) is a small region just west of Angers in the Anjour-Saumur region of the central Loire. Saviennières wines are made from Chenin Blanc, like in Vouvray, but here, they’re all fully dry and known for being riper, fuller-bodied and more concentrated than Vouvray wines, though some can seem restrained to the point of austerity when young. Some producers choose to aim for fruitier, less austere wines, while others are even experimenting with partial use of new oak barrels, adding richness and toasty vanilla and caramel-y flavors to the wines.
Made with Chenin Blanc, Saviennières wines are known for their high acidity and aromas and flavors of green or golden apple, pear, lemon, honey, quince, chamomile and smoky aromas sometimes described as wet wool or lanolin.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Savennières La Roche aux Moines, Saumur, Coulée de Serrant (a prestigious monopole appellation)
#5: Muscadet
All the way in the western part of the Loire, bordering the Atlantic, lies Muscadet (”moo-scah-day”) and its counterparts, regions within the Pays-Nantais portion of the Loire, named for the city of Nantes. Melon is the grape variety that dominates here, a grape that can handle the chilly, humid, maritime climate. Melon itself is considered a pretty “neutral” grape variety, with aromas and flavors of green apple and lemon, so the best Muscadet wines are aged “sur lie,” or on the lees.
Just like Palomino Fino in Sherry, the wines here get more flavor from the winemaking process than from the grape itself. Lees are primarily composed of dead yeast cells and grape skin particles, which sounds gross but is critically important in regions like Champagne and the Jura. After the yeasts have eaten the grapes’ sugars, producing alcohol and CO2 during fermentation, they can be intentionally left in contact with the wine, known as aging “sur lie,” which adds bread-y, brioche-y, nutty flavors and a richness and texture that contributes complexity and interest.
There are several appellations making these wines, including Muscadet Sèvre et Maine (the largest and best-known), Muscadet, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire and Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu. Wines from any of these appellations will work for this tasting. Look for the words “sur lie” on the bottle, an indication of the lees aging. Some winemakers are also experimenting with skin contact and fermentation in barrels, amphora or concrete eggs to add further complexity to the wines.
What to ask for: Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Muscadet, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire, Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu, preferably with “sur lie” on the bottle (unless a cru communaux is added to the appellation name, such as Clisson, Gorges or Le Pallet)
#6: Coteaux du Layon
Coteaux du Layon (”koh-toh doo lay-yon”) is a region in Anjou-Saumur in the central Loire that lies west of Saumur, along slopes that flank both sides of the Layon river, a tributary of the Loire. In Coteaux du Layon, sweet white wines are made from botrytis-affected Chenin Blanc grapes.
Botrytis cinerea, AKA Noble Rot, is a mold. The same fuzzy mold that ruins strawberries. Weirdly though, when botrytis affects wine grapes in just the right way, Goldielocks-style, perfectly ripe grapes will start to shrivel on the vine as teensy little filaments of botrytis mold poke through the skins, dehydrating them and altering the juice’s flavor. All the technology in the world still hasn’t been able to replace the highly trained pickers who hand-select one perfectly moldy grape at a time for weeks on end during harvest. Some of the world’s most famous sweet wines, including Sauternes, Barsac, Tokaji and Trockenbeerenauslese Rieslings are made from botrytized grapes, so “Noble Rot” really is quite apropos.
Botrytis adds aromas and flavors of preserved lemon, dried apricot, baked apple, honey and orange marmalade. Coteaux du Layon wines, made from high-acid Chenin Blanc grapes, retain plenty of acidity that balances the richness and sweetness contributed by botrytization, much like how the best lemonades have just the right amounts of sugar and acid to be addictively delicious.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Bonnezeaux, Quarts de Chaume, Coteaux du Saumur
Tasting tips
The eats
Loire Valley whites are often the go-to wines in French bistros and cafés, so if you want to do a steak frites kind of vibe, more power to you. To me, Loire Valley whites always call for picnics, goat cheeses, or both. Picnic-wise, all I want is French sandwiches like the jambon-beurre, pan bagnat, chèvre tomat, saucisson sec, pâté cornichon or my go-to when I lived there: saumon fumé, or smoked salmon. These are sandwiches that are few in ingredients and huge in flavor, AKA the best kind, especially if you like to impress with minimal effort.
As for the goat cheeses, or chèvre, there are so many. If you take the charcuterie route, please do a chèvre-focused board, and definitely include Crottin de Chavignol in the mix, since it is the most classic local pairing with Sancerre. Round things out with salami or sliced roast beef, almonds, dried apricots, honey, quince paste, baguette slices and strawberries.
The prep
These wines are generally easy to find, though the Coteaux du Layon, a sweet wine, might take some time, since sweet wines just aren’t all that popular these days. Give your guests at least two weeks to find their wines for this tasting.
Encourage your guests to give their wines some pre-tasting fridge time, since this is a tasting where it’s best if the wines are chilled. It’s a good idea to have an ice bucket or two handy as well, to accommodate any guests who forgot or didn’t have time to chill their wines before arrival.
A note on the tasting order: The wines are listed in the order of which should be included first. If you have fewer than 6 wines/guests, you’ll still have a well-rounded experience. However, the order in which you taste the wines, regardless of how many wines are included, is recommended as follows:
Muscadet
Sancerre
Pouilly-Fumé
Vouvray
Savennières
Coteaux du Layon
