The Wines of the Loire Valley, France

There’s no denying that some of the big wine makers do create a few truly great wines, but all too often there’s a huge pomposity surrounding many of these houses, with many living in the past rather than developing new and interesting wines. I suppose this is understandable when you consider many are bound by tradition, strict appellation rules and are limited by their sheer size. You get something totally different from small independent producers. They are certainly freer, more experimental, offer uniqueness and greater variety.

Above all they provide the wine drinker with an authentic insight into the terroir of the wines they craft and what it really means to be a wine maker.  

Let’s take a look at the Loire Valley, which provides some incredible examples of these small, often tiny production vineyards. We are all probably aware of wines like Sancerre and Pouilly- Fumé, but the Loire offers up much more and is possibly France’s most varied and yet most neglected wine region, outside of these areas. But despite that the Loire Valley is at the heart of France’s biodynamic, organic and natural wine movement. 

Domaine de Bellivière is one off the beaten track in the Northern most part of the Loire. This is what some might term an extreme place to be cultivating vines especially as it’s prone to hard frosts, hailstorms and occurrences of mildew and oidium, which can all be disastrous. To grow here requires a true passion, stubbornness and a cool temperament. 50% of the grapes are often destroyed but what you’re left with produces some stunning, crisp and unconventional wine. This small vineyard mainly produces Chenin Blanc, from Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir, and some Pineau D’Aunis. 

In the South of the Loire Valley, in Anjou we find Deboutbertin, a winery run by Stéphanie Debout and Vincent Bertin young couple cultivating 4 hectares of vineyards. The couple gave up their Parisienne life to farm in Anjou, after they fell in love with the area during a cycling holiday. 

Now farming organically, using their own Percheron horse to help with work on the vineyard. Their Pineau d’Aunis (is a grape you really must try and seize every opportunity to try… think light, spice, pepper and delicate fruit, and a favourite of the Plantagenet King, Henry III) is a standout wine in any list. They also produce great Chenin Blanc, Grolleau and Cabernet Franc wines too.

Also, in the valley, is Michel Delhommeau, who produces some great modern Muscadet. Thomas Bartardière Cabernet Franc, Chenin and the most delightful dessert wine, which is bursting with notes of chocolate orange, caramel and sticky toffee pudding. Domaine de Mortier is a purely Cabernet Franc wine, which is super light, elegant and great even when chilled. The list is endless, the often-forgotten nooks and crannies of the Loire really need to be explored and what better way to do it at the moment than through its wines? 

France has a huge array of wine making areas, many of which are relatively unknown, and we’ll spend some time exploring them in the coming months, as well as up and coming vineyards in some of the more familiar French regions.

Wines are available online through a variety of outlets or through Vine Trail https://www.vinetrail.co.uk/ 

Author: James Ratcliffe, Black Bull, Sedbergh