Haute Loire is an unofficial name for the wine-producing communes of the Loire Valley located upstream (South and east) from Touraine. It includes two of the Loire's most famous appellations - Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume - along with a number of lesser known appellations such as Orléans, Valencay, Quincy and Côtes du Forez. The concept of a "Haute Loire" sub-region is necessary because the appellations that make it up are not grouped by an administrative or historical region; their main commonality is their proximity to the Loire River. Most other French wine regions correspond closely to an administrative region or department (e.
g. Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne, Provence). There is indeed a department of the Loire, but it is hundreds of miles upstream from the heart of the Loire Vineyard. Ironically, it is home to two of the least known appellations in the Loire Valley: Côte Roannaise and Côtes du Forez.
Like nowhere else on the Loire, these two regions specialize in red and rosé wines made from Gamay. Their style of wine and their sandy, granitic soils mean that they have more in common with Beaujolais (just 50 km to the east) than with any other Loire appellation.
The voice drops a little; the tone grows more reverential. Everyone knows; everyone understands. There will be wry allusions to a quest, perhaps even the grail. Sacrifice is expected en route; failure (always forgiven: a badge of honour) beckons on every side. Kitted up, your hopes armour-plated? I might be talking about planting vines on a cleared slope, or simply about taking the corkscrew to a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine, but you all know by now what’s meant. Pinot Noir. ‘Pinotism’ ...
Tasting the 2020 Côte-Rôties reminded me of the 2016s – while some are on the light side, the wines are ripe with a fine tannic frame. They are noticeably more slender and less potent than the previous few vintages and will drink well straight away. Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for the Côte-Rôtie & Condrieu 2020 top-scoring wines {"content":"PHA+U3TDqXBoYW5lIE9naWVyIGJlbGlldmVzIHRoZSBjb29sIG5pZ2h0cyB3ZXJlIGFuIGltcG9ydGFudCBmYWN0b3IgaW4gdGhlIGZyZXNoZXIgc3R5bGUgb2Ygd ...
The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) invites you to enjoy this video in which Jean-Pierre Renard, Expert Instructor at the Ecole des Vins de Bourgogne, explains the topographical and geological characteristics of the Saint-Véran appellation.The exercice is particularly complex as there are so many variables that make up the terroir throughout its geographical area. This video is taken from the “Rendez-vous avec les vins de Bourgogne” program broadcasted in June 2021. Retrouvez-nous sur les réseaux so ...
