15% off 6+ bottles of wine . Free NSW delivery on 6+ standard bottles . Free Australia-wide delivery on $500+ spend

Loire Valley

by Annandale Cellars

The Loire valley is easily the most diverse region in all of France. The region follows the Loire River which comes in from the west coast which is the area with higher rainfall and maritime influence known for textural Muscadet, then further inland to the appellations best known for Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, then further along still to practically the centre of France - the home of Sauvignon Blanc. There are also many great-value sparkling wines and rose made throughout the Loire as well! If you could only drink from one region in France for the rest of your life, this one would surely make the best choice due to the vast array of styles across a range of price points that are produced here.


LOCATION:
The Loire Valley region follows the Loire River as it stretches across 965 km from the coast all the way into the heart of France. The region is split into the Lower Loire on the coast (also known as Nantes), Middle Loire (Anjou, Saumur, Touraine etc) and Central Loire (Sancerre, Pouilly Fume).

TERROIR:

  • Lower Loire: The majority of the vineyards are found on the flat, south-facing banks of the Loire, Sèvre, and Maine Rivers. With the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, the climate is maritime with cold, damp winters, cool springs and hot and humid summers. Soils are a combination of rocky sandy based soils depending on the exact location.
  • Middle Loire: Less Maritime influence moving further from the Atlantic Ocean. Relatively flat and one of the warmest areas of the Loire. Dark schist soils dominant moreso in Anjou and Saumur, whereas limestone is dominant in areas such as Touraine.
  • Central Loire: Warm summers with cold, snowy winters. Chalky limestone subsoils dominate here with some silex (flint) and sandy soils too.


VARIETIES:
Lower Loire: Melon de Bourgogne is the main white grape here used to make Muscadet.

Middle Loire: Chenin Blanc is the primary white grape and Cabernet Franc is the main red grape.

Central Loire: Sauvignon Blanc is the main white grape here with some Pinot Noir as well for reds.

PRODUCERS:

Didier Dagueneau, Pascal Cotat, Huet, Domaine du Collier, Clos Rougeard, Guiberteau, Domaine Belargus, Francois Chidaine, Mark Angeli, Domaine de la Pepiere, Nicolas Joly

Back to The Annandale Cellars Guidebook to the Wine Regions of France