Every Sunday, with a little more of an educational edge, I explore specific appellations or sub-regions, taking you along for the ride. If you’ve learned about or traveled to these regions in the past, this will be an opportunity for you to brush up on some fading facts and if it’s uncharted territory, why not learn something new? If you’re already an expert or you call this region home, then feel free to comment and share your experiences with everyone.

So far this year I’ve been killing one of my 2010 wine goals. It’s the easiest item from my ambitious list, but over the first 8 days of this year, I’ve purchased two reds from the Loire. The first was a fairly average and slightly overpriced Bourgueil which isn’t really worth talking about, but despite this, I’ve stayed true and given the valley’s reds another chance.

(Click the map for a much bigger version. For consistency sakes, I’ve done some relabeling)

The Loire Valley snakes vertically through over half the entire map of France before emptying at the northwestern coast into the Atlantic. The vineyards along the bank of the country’s longest river are usually separated into four sub regions: Nantes, closest to the ocean and known mostly for Muscadet; Anjou-Saumur, which we’ll be talking about a little more; Touraine, famous for Bourgueil, Chinon and Vouvray; and finally the Upper Loire, the area furthest inland and where you’ll find Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé.

(The beautiful medieval city of Angers. Photo credit)

The Anjou-Saumur is rich with variety, yet with so many delimited areas, is also confusing as hell. From twenty-six different appellations, you get a full range of styles from sparkling, white, red, rosé and luscious sweet wines. You may know the famous sources for dessert wines from Chenin Blanc such as Coteaux du Layon AC, Quarts de Chaume AC, and Bonnezeaux AC. The Savennières AC produces both high quality dry and sweet wine and is the home to two even more refined areas or cru of Roche aux Moines AC and La Coulée de Serrant AC. The latter of these is one of the most renowned vineyards in the whole Loire and owned exclusively by Nicolas Joly.

(As you can see, the appellations from around these parts are kind of a tangled mess)

The most diverse of these twenty-six appellations is the Anjou AC, spread around the cities of Angers and Saumur. The whites here are made mostly from Chenin Blanc with up to 20% Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, the reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pineau d’Aunis and Gamay, and the rosés from Grolleau and Malbec in addition to the same grapes used for red production.

The red wines here are heavily overshadowed by all the great whites. The soils are complicated and vary tremendously from gravel terraces, chalk, schist, slate, volcanic spilite and granite loam. One step above the basic Anjou appellation is the Anjou-Village AC, which is reserved for Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc surrounding the area’s more reputable growing villages. The best of these wines are considered to differ from the often lighter, more mineral and herbaceous driven wines from the Touraine’s Bougrueil and Chinon, swapping for heavier fruit and a more tannic edge. To quote Andrew Jefford on the best Anjou-Village, “For contemporary international tastes, they are often more appealing than the nervous and chilly reds of the Touraine.” There’s also the Anjou-Gamay AC, again from specific areas and made from the Gamay grape.

(Domaine Philippe and Catherine Delesvaux. Photo credit)

Philippe Delesvaux farms his grapes using the specialized branch of organic viticulture known as  biodynamics, a homeopathic approach which is more common in the Loire than most other regions of France. This may be because the Loire is made up of mainly small and independent growers and winemakers. They have more control over developing and experimenting with viticultural practices and are able to directly see the results. The valley is also home to the loudest proponent of and an authour on biodynamics, Nicolas Joly, who would also influence his neighbours. The 14.5 hectare (36 acre) Delesvaux vineyard produces less than 5000 cases annually. He’s best known for his sweet botryitized wines including the Coteaux de Layon appellation.

Domaine Philippe Delesvaux ‘05 “La Montée de l’Epine” Anjou AC

The “La Montée de l’Epine” cuvée is from low yielding Cabernet Sauvignon vines. It surprised me a little with its inky purple and opaque colour, a bit darker than I imagined. At first this wine was shy, restrained and muted; the intense, fine and powdery tannins bothered me. Initially, the only aromas I could pick out were dark purple fruit, dark chocolate, and graphite. Thankfully, it cried for a decanting and benefited significantly. The tannins softened and more complex characters unwound themselves including an attractive combination of savoury smoked meat and rosemary. To completely appreciate this wine, it should accompany food and it should be decanted a couple hours before dinner. Overall, a complicated and difficult child who turned out great in the end. I picked this wine up for a mere $5.99 at Spencer & Daniel’s in SF, but I’ve typically seen it priced online in the mid to high teens.

My biggest surprise was the almost complete lack of any green vegetal or herbaceous characters that I almost always associate with reds from the eastern neighbouring Touraine areas of Bourgueil and Chinon. Even though this was Cabernet Sauvignon and not Cabernet Franc, who is much more expected to get all green in the glass, I still expected it. It’s dangerous to generalize with such a diverse region, but this gives credit to Andrew Jefford’s above statement on Anjou and Touraine differences.

As always, please feel free to contribute any information, experience or tasting notes that you feel are relevant and check back next Sunday. Check out past Sunday posts here.

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