Top 100 wines of Loire Valley
Discover the top 100 best wines of Loire Valley as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of Loire Valley and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of Loire Valley
The Loire Valley is a key wine region in western France. It follows the course of the Loire River on its Long journey through the heart of France, from the inland hills of the Auvergne to the plains of the French Atlantic coast near Nantes (Muscadet country). Important in terms of quantity and quality, the region produces large quantities (about 4 million h/l each year) of everyday wines, as well as some of France's greatest wines. Diversity is another of the region's major assets; the styles of wine produced here range from the light, tangy Muscadet to the Sweet, honeyed Bonnezeaux, the Sparkling whites of Vouvray and the juicy, Tannic reds of Chinon and Saumur.
It's quite telling that this brief overview of the region's wines doesn't even mention the Loire Valley's two most famous wines - Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. White wines are clearly the strong point of the Loire Valley and represent the vast majority of production. A significant proportion of these are produced under PGI appellations, most commonly the IGP Loire (formerly Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France), which covers the whole region. The main white Grape varieties used for the production of white wines in the Loire Valley are Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne and, more popular than the traditional, Chardonnay.
Discover the grape variety: Cabernet franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
Food and wine pairing with a wine of Loire Valley
wines from the region of Loire Valley go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, shellfish or spicy food such as recipes of alsatian sauerkraut, hake with small shrimps for cookeo or papillotes of swordfish with curry.
Organoleptic analysis of wine of Loire Valley
On the nose in the region of Loire Valley often reveals types of flavors of earth, orange peel or oaky and sometimes also flavors of coconut, cherry or blackberry. In the mouth in the region of Loire Valley is a with a nice freshness.
News from the vineyard of Loire Valley
Chianti Classico DOCG raises the bar: Producers to add new subzone and Gran Selezione
In 1932, the Italian government expanded the boundaries of Chianti to incorporate neighbouring territories where grapes and chianti-style wines had long been produced. And in 1967, four years after the enactment of the Italian DOC system (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), the first official Chianti DOC was created, including seven sub-zones: Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Rùfina, Colli Aretini, Colline Pisane and Montalbano, plus the original Chianti Classico. The entire area was elevated ...
Andrew Jefford: ‘I urge every reader to enjoy wine thoughtfully’
I first contributed to Decanter back in November 1988; the hundreds of columns and articles I’ve written since constitute a journey of discovery. I squirm, though, if I’m described as a ‘wine expert’. Whatever wine knowledge we acquire quickly cools, congeals and crusts over, like custard or gravy, as the years pass. The wine world expands at a clip. Every vintage rewrites history. It’s the chance to share discoveries – not just about wines, but about people, places and the act of drinking itsel ...
Investment start-up Vint appoints wine director
Lapierre, a Master of Wine since 2013, is already part of Vint’s investment committee and will step into the new director of wine role as the group looks to grow. He joins Vint from the California-based Vinfolio fine wine group, where he most recently served as president. Vint is one of several groups that has said it wants to make investing in wine as an alternative asset more accessible. Founded in 2019, the group has since 2021 specialised in offering Securities & Exchange Commission-qual ...
Top wines in regions and sub-regions of Loire Valley
The best wines of Loire Valley in other styles
- The best wines natural sweet of Loire Valley in other styles
- The best wines pink of Loire Valley in other styles
- The best wines red of Loire Valley in other styles
- The best wines sparkling of Loire Valley in other styles
- The best wines sweet of Loire Valley in other styles
- The best wines unknow of Loire Valley in other styles
- The best wines white of Loire Valley in other styles