Terra Incognita: Loire Valley

I shouldn't even write this blog. Next thing you know, Loire wines get to be as expensive as Burgundies or Bordeaux. One issue of the "Wine Spectator" devoted to Loire wines and it will be all over, not to mention Robert Parker, giving some of its wines high scores.

Etching by the Wine Meister, "Appellation Controlée:Loire"

The Loire, France's longest river, rises in the  Massif Central and its basin encompasses about one fifth of France. The central part of the Loire is often described as the "Garden of France." During the Renaissance it was the playground of  the French kings, their spouses, and paramours. The splendid chateaux along the Loire are testimony to their opulent life style.

The Loire is a patchwork of many appellations, and vintners use many grape varieties that are vinified in various styles. Wine aficionados often identify the Loire Valley with white wines, but large amounts of reds are made as well. Most Loire wines that reach our shores are of the white persuasion. So, this blog is devoted to the white wines of the Loire and in particular to the grape called Chenin Blanc.

MOST IMPORTANT WHITE VARIETIES

SAUVIGNON BLANC: In many peoples' mind, Sauvignon Blanc is playing the main fiddle among  Loire whites. The towns of  Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume are the best-known sources of Loire Sauvignon Blanc.

This variety renders an aromatic wine, exhibiting slightly herbaceous, grassy, and green fruit aromas such as gooseberry. Once the grassy element gets out of hand, we are left with a pissy smell that the French call "pippy de chat."

Good Sancerre Sauvignon Blancs will cost from around $16 to $24. Domaine Bourgeois is always a good bet. Pouilly-Fume is less commonly seen and tends to be more expensive. K&L in San Francisco is a good source for Sancerres.

CHENIN BLANC: Chenin Blanc and Riesling, the stepchildren of the fine wine universe, have a few things in common. They can make great wines, are way underrated, and consumers are often confused because both varieties are made in many different styles.

Once upon a time, I stayed in picturesque Azay-le-Rideau in the Loire valley. On a Sunday outing in the Loire Valley, we had found the perfect spot for a picnic on the sandy banks along the river. We brought great local Chevre and a fresh baguette and I trotted into the nearest town, looking for a suitable bottle of wine.

It was Sunday afternoon and the stores had long closed. All was quiet and serene. The town folks were home, digesting their midday meal and thinking of the next pastime. Across the square I spied a bar, and low and behold, it was open.

15th Century Tapestry 

I stepped up to the counter and bought a bottle of white wine. Then I hurried back to our picnic spot, grabbed the cork screw, pulled the cork, poured the wine, grabbed a peace of the baguette, slathered it with cheese, took a bite and began washing it down with the wine.

Yikes, the wine was very sweet, or in local lingo "Moelleux." The bar tender hadn't bothered pointing this out to me. A good Chenin Blanc Moelleux can be a marvel to behold, but this bottle was worse than mediocre and sure didn't work as a picnic wine.

Back at our old-fashioned hotel, we got ready to join the trickle of guests who descended to the expansive, chestnut tree shaded gravel yard, where dinner was going to be served.

I checked out the wine list and was taken aback. It was dominated by local Chenin Blancs going back decades. I ordered a bottle and the waiter rushed off to the cold cellar, from whence he returned with a bottle whose sides had condensed water pearling down. This bottle was the beginning of my love affair with Chenin Blanc.

Fast forward to May 7th, 2012 and my most recent comprehensive tasting of Loire Chenin Blancs under the auspices of the "Uptown Tasting Group" in San Francisco. "G" and I as the understudy had put together a Chenin Blanc tasting that included four dry Chenin Blancs, mostly from the 2010 vintage, and priced from $20 and topping out at $37. Then there were two bottles of semi-sweet (Moelleux) Chenin Blancs, one from "G" cellars the other costing $72. Finally came a bottle of sweet late harvest wine ($62).

THE TASTING: The wine tasters ranked only the four dry Chenin Blancs. The groups' favorite was the '09 Domaine de La Taille aux Loups "Sec Les Dix Arpents."

My notes read "fabulous nose with honey and apples, great mouth feel, balance and superb length. I bought this for $20 at Ludwig's Fine Wines in San Anselmo, Marine County (415 456 1820, e-mail- magid@ludwigsfinewine.com, web - www.ludwigsfinewine.com).

This Chenin Blanc is from the Montlouis-sur- Loire appellation. The domaine is owned by Jacky Blot who is considered one of the top producers of Loire wines.

There was a statistical dead heat among the three remaining dry Chenin Blanc wines. The 2010 Vouvray Domaine D'Orfeuilles costing $22, and purchased at the San Francisco Wine House, was my favorite. My notes rhapsodize about "the honeyed, intense bouquet, the wonderful balance on the palate, and the great length, lasting for close to a minute.

Then there was the 2010 Vouvray "Clos de Bourg" from the legendary Domaine Huet. It clearly has a great future, but it is approachable now. This bottle came from the San Francisco Wine House as well. It was the most expensive of the dry Chenin Blancs at $37.

Finally, there was the 2010 Savenniere Chateau d'Epire from Kermit Lynch, Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA, 510 524 1524, web - www.kermitlynch.com.  In quality it was right up there with the other dry Chenin Blancs. It did however have a darker hue, which might indicate that it can't be cellared as long as the other Chenin Blancs in our line up.

This flight was followed by a "mini' flight of two bottles of the "Moelleux" (or "Doux") kind, both terms meaning "soft,"  "agreeable to drink," (i.e. semi-dry, or semi-sweet if you will). One came from the 2009 vintage and the second one was a 27- year-old bottle  from "G's" cellar.

Shockingly, the 27 year old Vouvray from Domaine Brisarbee from "G's" cellar looked and tasted younger than the 2009 Montlouis-sur-Loire Domaine Chidiane "Moelleux" ($72) that we had purchased at Premier Cru Wines in Berkeley, CA. Both bottles were absolutely superb and "G's" bottle testified to the fact that Chenin Blancs from a good year are practically immortal.

Postcard circa 1900 - "Homage to Vouvray Wine"

Our tasting concluded with the lush, well-sulfured, late harvest 2005 Vouvray from Domaine D'Orfeuil "Tries de Novembre," that had been purchased at the San Francisco Wine House ($65).

One caveat which applies to many late harvest sweet wines of the world (e.g Sauternes, German late harvest Rieslings such as Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese, Tokaj, late harvest California wines, etc). Producers tend to add a goodly amount of sulfur (a preservative that slowly breaks down with time) to these wines, hoping that they end up in cellars whose owners are not addicted to instant gratification and are willing to give the wine time to develop complexity.

CREMANTS: Since the pre-wine of our tasting was a sparkling Loire Chenin Blanc, allow me to say a few things about French sparkling wines. Keep in mind that many wine regions in France produce fine bubbly. When in France, the wine waiter will always try to sell you on a big bucks Champagne. Lest you be Croesus himself, ask for the local sparkler, usually referred to as "cremant" (e.g. Cremant d'Alsace, Cremant de Bourgogne, etc.).

I am particularly fond of sparklers from the Loire Valley. All "cremants" are made exactly like Champagnes. The process is usually referred to as "Methode Traditionel,"and occasionally as "Methode Ancien."

The Loire sparkler we drank was produced by Chateau de Laulee, which comes from the Touraine district of the Loire valley. Chateau de Laulee is located in Azay-le Rideau, the charming Loire village mentioned above.

This is an outstanding "cremant," which is imported by Dee Vine Wines (1 877 389 9463, e-mail - dade@dvw.com, web - www.dvw.com). It's not available in stores and you must order it from Dee Vine Wine. It's less than $20 a bottle and is up there with the best of the sparklers this side of Champagne.

TASTING SUMMARY: Chenin Blanc is one of the great white wine varieties of the world. The dry Chenin Blancs from the Loire in our tasting were from two "mediocre" vintages (2009 and 2010), but still showed their mettle. If you want to lay down whites, dry or semi-dry that gain complexity with age, get these way-undervalued Chenin Blanc wines from the Loire Valley. The appellations which are synonymous with dry or semi-sweet Chenin Blancs are Vouvray and Montlouis-sur-Loire. In our tasting the sweet late harvest wine came from Vouvray as well. Another late harvest sweet Chenin Blanc appellation is Quart de Chaume.

Honestly, I was blown away. Chenin Blanc has got to be the next big thing, if there is any hope for humanity.

MUSCADET: This huge appellation, located at the mouth of the Loire near the city of Nantes produces massive amounts of wine. Muscadet (made form the the Melon grape) is the ultimate white bistro quaffer of Paris. I could never figure out how people could gulp down this sour and tasteless brew. Luckily, there have been major improvements over the last decades.

It's best to get a "Sur Lie" version which can be had for between $10 and $15. It's easy to find Muscadet in the San Francisco area. A good source is K&L Wines.

MISCELLANEOUS

                                                                    Photo credit: Stefanie

Check out "Edibles," a free, handsome magazine that covers the food and wine scene of Marin, Napa, and Sonoma. The current summer issue has an intriguing article by husband and wife team David and Monica Stevens of "750 Wines," "a treasure chest of small-production, big-flavor wines," located in St. Helena, Napa Valley.

Here the authors review three small-production wines. It wasn't just the unusual grape varieties that caught my eye but also the "shockingly" low alcohol levels of these wines.

After I called "750 Wines," Monica was gracious enough to fit my daughter and me into their busy schedule. The minute we arrived it became obvious that we were in for a unique experience. The venue is a loft space adorned with large paintings and sculptures. A communal oak table sits close to the wine racks and was set with fine stem ware. We received personalized tasting sheets!

David and Monica are very congenial and came up with this novel concept of giving wine fans a personalized tasting experience. David used to work as a sommelier in the Napa Valley and has the commensurate knowledge. "750 Wines" cultivates small-scale, creative producers that think outside the proverbial box.

Our first wine was a blend of grapes that is commonly used by wine makers in Friuli, Northern Italy. The wine was the 2010 Massican "annia," ($27). It was an absolutely stunning bottle with a wonderful bouquet, mouth feel, balance and impressive length.

                                                  Photo credit: Stefanie

The Wind Gap Trousseau Gris, 2011($21) was of the same caliber. Trousseau Gris? Trousseau is a red grape of the Jura region of France, and Trousseau Gris is a white mutation thereof. In years long passed, it was called Grey Riesling in California, but nobody ever produced anything of distinction. Wind Gap's wine, however, exhibited all the attributes of a fine wine: Penetrating bouquet, perfect balance between fruit and acidity, and amazing length.

Our final bottle was the 2010 Arbe Garbe, Malvasia Bianca, ($30). The grapes for this wine come from the well-known Saralee's Vineyard (Russian River Valley).

Malvasia is an ancient Greek grape variety and much of it is now planted in Italy. Vin Santo, Italy's best-known desert wine, is made from Malvasia grapes.

Arbe Garbe's Malvasia, however, is a dry wine, though some people may confuse its exotic bouquet with sweetness. On the palate the wine is rich and and well balanced and like the other wines, has the hallmark of all good wines, a mighty long finish.