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Small guide of wines of Pays de la Loire  

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20-August-2008
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INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this small guide is to present you wines of the Countries of the Loire and to show you that the Countries of the Loire can supply all the types of wine and with a very high quality level. Is not Sancerre the French wine the most known in world and the "Coulée de Serrant" one of the best white wines of the globe?

The Countries of the Loire, it is also the place of birth of Balzac and Ronsard and the cradle of the haughtiness Châteaux de la Loire.

The indicated durations of guard(guarding,nurse) are only indications. They can vary according to the soil, the year, the producer... On the other hand, the duration of guard of a wine is not necessarily a quality security. We find excellent wines which drink young!

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RED VINTAGE WINES

These wines are very known and very appreciated and improve with the age (4 - 10 years and more):
  • LE CHINON
    Vintage wine and distinguished, of senior form. Very known and appreciated for decades. He can beware for a long time (4 - 8 years, even 15 years and more according to the years) because he becomes refined with the age. A red vintage wine. The wine resulting from grounds argilo-calcareous bewares longer Communes of Chinon, Ligré, La-Roche-Clermault, Beaumont-en-Véron, Cravant-Les-Coteaux, Savigny-en-Véron. Rabelais was born to Chinon and Gargantua appreciated this wine...
  • LE BOURGUEIL
    Another very estimated red vintage wine. Bourgueil is a little more complicated than Chinon and can beware little longer of 4 - 10 years even, 15 years and even much more... A delicious aroma of raspberry.
  • LE SAINT NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL
    Little less for a long time looks like Bourgueil but is a little lighter and bewares
  • LE SAUMUR-CHAMPIGNY
    One of my favourite red wines. Complicated and strong, he knows how to remain fruity and soft. A good balance. Can beware until 5 or 10 years.

RED WINES TO DRINK FAST

They are known a little less and it is pity because they are excellent. It drink in their youth and their adolescence...
  • ANJOU
    Wine powerful and full of aromas in the good local flavour. To drink in 3 years.
  • ANJOU-GAMAY
    Aromatic and attractive wine. To drink very young.
  • ANJOU-VILLAGES
    The territory of production is more reduced than that of Anjou. It is the robust and well balanced wine which can beware 4 - 5 years but can also drink young.
  • ANJOU-VILLAGES-BRISSAC
    The vintage wine of Anjou-Villages. Can drink from 3 years but wins to age from 5 to 10 years and even indeed beyond.
  • TOURAINE
    Light wine to drink young.
  • TOURAINE-AMBOISE
    A very nice, cheerful and cheerful wine. He is light but has of the body and can beware 2 / 4 years. Some people will say to you that it is possible to guard him even longer.
  • TOURAINE-MESLAND
    More thoroughbred pleasant wine and with more character than the naming "Touraine". Can beware of 2 / 4 years.
  • SAUMUR
    Strong and fruity quality red wine which is capable of aging from 3 to 4 years and more. Saumur-Champigny is enclosed in the territory of Saumur.

DRY WHITE VINTAGE WINES

These dry or half--dry white wines are high-level to see exceptional. It is dry white wines of France where we can guard longer (4 - 10 years and more):
  • ANJOU
    A dry white of quality who can beware from 3 to 8 years. Does not however reach the high level of the more restrictive naming.
  • COTEAUX DE L'AUBANCE
    Fine and fruity half-dry white wine. Bewares of from 5 to 10 years old and more.
  • JASNIERES
    This dry or soft white wine, according to the years, is produced in the Sarthe. It is the rare and surprising wine which can in the big years be a wine exceptional, deserving of the biggest (Personnalities said it and writes: Ronsard, Rabelais, Henri IV). We are proud of it in Sarthe!-)
  • COULEE-DE-SERRANT
    Exceptional vintage wine of Savennières. For some one most vintage wines of French wine with the castle Yquem!
  • MENETOU-SALON
    The vineyard of Menetou-Salon is very former. It was up to Jacques Coeur. It is a fresh wine and fruity, delicate, high-quality.
  • MUSCADET
    Light and fruity white wine. The Muscadet wine on dregs is the fruitiest and the most supple. To consume in his soft fresh and lively youth.
  • POUILLY-FUME
    A little spiced perfumed wine. His territory is the same that that of Pouilly-Sur-Loire. Drinks in 2 or 3 years.
  • POUILLY-SUR-LOIRE
    See Pouilly-Fumé.
  • QUINCY
    Very dry and fine wine, beautiful delicate aroma. Can beware 10 years. Close to Sancerre.
  • LA-ROCHE-AUX-MOINES
    One of two considered exceptional of Savennières. This exceptional wine touches the sublime with "La Coulée de Serrant".
  • REUILLY
    Fruity dry wine with a flavor of very pleasant Muscatel wine. Very former vineyard.
  • SANCERRE
    We say about Sancerre "The French wine the most known around the world", "the best white wine of France". I would not take an opinion but this wine is really exceptional, fine, thoroughbred, magnificent! Bewares from 2 to 5 years old.
  • SAVENNIERES
    Small territory in the vintage wine! See his exceptional vintage wines "La coulée de Serrant" and "La Roche aux Moines". Bewares of 5 to 10 years and even 20, 30 years...
  • SAUMUR
    Very good dry or half-dry white wine to the recognizable taste among the others, the taste of "tuff". Can and has to beware very for a long time, from 5 to 10 years and much more. There is no soft white wine of naming Saumur.
  • TOURAINE-AZAY-LE-RIDEAU
    Vintage and delicate wine. Can beware 2 - 4 years.
  • VOUVRAY
    Wine of senior form, captivating and fresh with uncountable delicate aromas. Vouvray is of long guarding, until 15 years and more. I like very much.
Photo vigne

WHITE VINTAGE WINES SOFTNESS

These wines are all high-level and have to envy nothing in big Bordeaux and in big Bourgogne (according to the years). They can beware of numerous years free from problems (7 - 15 years and more):
  • ANJOU-COTEAUX-DE-LA-LOIRE
    Firm and powerful soft wine. To guard 5 to 15 years and more. Becomes pleasant with the age.
  • COTEAUX-DU-LAYON
    A soft white Vintage wine of France. The big years compete without blushing with the best Sauternes and Barsac. Can beware several decades! A miracle.
  • BONNEZEAUX
    "First vintage wines" of Coteaux du Layon...
  • QUARTS-DE-CHAUME
    "First vintage wines" of Coteaux du Layon...
  • MONTLOUIS-SUR-LOIRE
    This wine looks like Vouvray. There is doubtless a little less fine but is an excellent wine capable of aging several decades.
  • VOUVRAY
    It is the famous "wine of taffeta" praised by Rabelais. A magnificent wine of sweetness and curvature in the aromas soft and subtle perfectly mixed and additional. Vouvray has this peculiarity to be able to be either dry, or half-dry, or soft, or sparkling and all this naturally! It depends on the year. A "derisive", alive and kicking wine!

ROSÉ WINES

  • CABERNET D'ANJOU
    Half-dry rosé wine. To drink young but can beware some years. The wine of the summer with a barbecue...
  • CABERNET DE SAUMUR
    Dry rosé wine amazing at freshness. Very clear, almost white color. To drink young and fresh. A wine to discover.
  • ROSE D'ANJOU
    To drink freshly in his youth.
  • ROSE DE LOIRE
    To drink freshly in his youth.
  • TOURAINE-NOBLE-JOUE
    This wine has its naming since 2001. It is a grey or pinkish wine. To consume in 3 years.

THE "TRADITIONAL METHODS"

These sparkling wines are comparable, for some, in of excellent Champagne and, besides, they can beware some years:
  • CREMANT-DE-LOIRE
    Production standards are very strict. This wine is softened and captivating. He makes cheerful and charms our senses. A wine very "class".
  • SAUMUR
    It is necessary to forget "sparkling wines" of the fairground fairs of some years ago which were only industrial productions of bottom level. Sparkling Saumur is a very good wine produced according to the rule book and very pleasant to drink. It is elaborated with the traditional and deserving method the best.
  • VOUVRAY
    This wine has to envy nothing in Champagne. He is elaborated with the same method and high-quality. For one very reasonable price we can have an excellent sparkling wine. This wine has the very rare particuliarity, for this category of wine, to be able to keep some years (3 - 4 years even more).
OTHER WINES

  • COTEAUX D'ANCENIS GAMAY
    Red wine produces on a quite small territory of the region of Nantes. Light and aromatic, a little peppered wine. To drink young and fresh ( AOVDQS).
  • COTEAUX D'ANCENIS MALVOISIE
    Soft white wine produces on a quite small territory of the region of Nantes. Lively wine to discover (AOVDQS).
  • COTE ROANNAISE
    Red wines and rosé wines of the region Center, AOC since 1994. Very known thanks to a big cook of Lyon who appreciated them a lot. Wines to be drunk young and fresh.
  • COTEAUX-DU-LOIR
    The only red wine of the Sarthe! Fruity and very drinkable. Very pleasant and refreshing. Young drinks. There is also a dry white and some rosé. Eight producers of these wines are quoted in a known guide of wines, publishing 2004, and with stars for some.
  • COTEAUX-DU-VENDOMOIS
    AOC since 2001. Product of the red (60 %), of the white (20 %) and of the grey (20 %). Red wines are of good guarding: from 3 to 10 years.
  • GROS PLANT
    The only wine of this page which is not AOC but AOVDQS. He deserves however to be quoted for his exceptional capacity to agree with shells. He is produced in the region of Nantes.
  • COTEAUX-DE-SAUMUR
    Small vineyard the wine of which gets closer to that of the Coteaux du Layon. Can be magnificent.
  • CHEVERNY
    AOC since 1993. Product of the white and the red.
  • COUR-CHEVERNY
    AOC since 1993. Dry white wine. To drink at the end of some years.
  • COTES-DU-FOREZ
    AOC since 1999. Product of the light red.
  • VALENCAY
    AOC since 2003. Product of the red, the white and the rosé.


DATED RECENT :

  • Exceptional : 1989
  • Greats : 1990 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 2002
  • Good : 1992 - 1994 - 1998 - 2000 - 2003 ?
The Countries of the Loire being very vast, these years cannot constitute that an indication general..

MY FAVOURITE LINKS

THE FORUM


In every wine can be associated producers list with their coordinates and one text of presentation against compensation of 3 good bottles. See example on Chinon. Ecrire

The alcohol abuse is dangerous... but so good!

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