Best wines of the Loire Valley?
Discussion
We spent 2 great weeks in the Loire this year, near Saumur, and we're going back for more!
We spent a day looking at various wine cellars, spending time at the Ackerman caves and Robert & Marcel.
We picked up some lovely wines (well, we thought they were good!) from both wineries, but next year we want to really stock up for at home.
Therefore, does anyone have any tips as to what wines are worth seeking out within the Saumur region?
Thanks!
We spent a day looking at various wine cellars, spending time at the Ackerman caves and Robert & Marcel.
We picked up some lovely wines (well, we thought they were good!) from both wineries, but next year we want to really stock up for at home.
Therefore, does anyone have any tips as to what wines are worth seeking out within the Saumur region?
Thanks!
I know the region the other side of Tours better, however, around saumur I would definitely go to chat. du hureau, it is just along the river in dampierre sur loire.
For sparkling saumur I would go to ackerman laurence in Saint-hilaire, they make excellent sparkling wines.
For a bit of history I would go to Chat. de Targe, been in the same family for 350 years, they make an excellent saumur-champigny, beautiful surrounding and chateau. This is in Parnay which is just a bit further down the river.
If you have time travel an hour or so to Vouvray and Sancerre, spoilt for choice around there, also close to pouilly fume for some of the best white wines.
For sparkling saumur I would go to ackerman laurence in Saint-hilaire, they make excellent sparkling wines.
For a bit of history I would go to Chat. de Targe, been in the same family for 350 years, they make an excellent saumur-champigny, beautiful surrounding and chateau. This is in Parnay which is just a bit further down the river.
If you have time travel an hour or so to Vouvray and Sancerre, spoilt for choice around there, also close to pouilly fume for some of the best white wines.
Le TVR said:
Chateau de Villeneuve have some excellent reds and some impressive whites.
Agree check out their Grand Clos a monster of a Cabernet Franc. Nice shop at the ChateauChenin Blanc shines if you like off dry or sweet wines
Some of the more obscure appellations Jasnieres, Bonnezeaux, Quarts de Chaumes, Savennieres can be stunning. In the C19 they were some of the most sought after and expensive wines in the world. Tastes have changed but they are still very well made and very good 'food wines'. The whites will often stand 20+ years of bottle age
Clos du Papillon and Chateau de Fesles stood out when I visited.
Lots of dreck around Anjou and Saumur
2014 was a pretty exceptional year for reds in the Loire and so if you enjoyed them this year you can look forward to oaked vielles-vines wine becoming available next year, obviously at a bigger price.
Domain St Just make the wines for the Chateau de Breze, but some of their own wines are pretty exceptional. In Varrains, then Daheuller is some of the best Saumur Champigny.
Most of the local Chenin blanc is OK, but if you want something different, then Domain La Paleine in Le Puy Notre Dame is excellent.
Fizzy from Bouvet Ladubay - Saphyr and Gratien et Mayer - Cuvee Flamme are perhaps the best.
If you are looking for some excellent well-priced wines then Domain La Garrene at Montreuil-Bellay has a broad selection like Robert & Marcell that includes fizzys and vin tardive that could represent a good saving to you. Their Sous le Couture won a gold medal at the Paris show last year.
For our everyday red, we think that it is worth driving to St Nicholas de Bougueil wich is generally regarded as the best wine of Tourraine there are no chateaux there as it is only made up of small Domains of a former Abbey.
Domain St Just make the wines for the Chateau de Breze, but some of their own wines are pretty exceptional. In Varrains, then Daheuller is some of the best Saumur Champigny.
Most of the local Chenin blanc is OK, but if you want something different, then Domain La Paleine in Le Puy Notre Dame is excellent.
Fizzy from Bouvet Ladubay - Saphyr and Gratien et Mayer - Cuvee Flamme are perhaps the best.
If you are looking for some excellent well-priced wines then Domain La Garrene at Montreuil-Bellay has a broad selection like Robert & Marcell that includes fizzys and vin tardive that could represent a good saving to you. Their Sous le Couture won a gold medal at the Paris show last year.
For our everyday red, we think that it is worth driving to St Nicholas de Bougueil wich is generally regarded as the best wine of Tourraine there are no chateaux there as it is only made up of small Domains of a former Abbey.
Edited by rdjohn on Thursday 26th November 10:18
The 2015 whites are great this year, I bought some http://www.domaine-lesmeribelles.com/vins.html on Sunday and it is excellent and good value.
I am less enthusiastic about the reds, they are not as good as 2014, so looking for older, or oaked, vintages is still a good idea. The fizzys are still exceptional value for informal occasions.
Have a great time!
I am less enthusiastic about the reds, they are not as good as 2014, so looking for older, or oaked, vintages is still a good idea. The fizzys are still exceptional value for informal occasions.
Have a great time!
I'm a big fan of Langlois-Chateau in Saumur, and will be popping in on my way to Le Mans (again).
We did a trip a couple of years ago that took us from there across to Sancerre and then on to Beaune - Sancerre as a place is a bit disappointing, although the wine is good. Beaune was lovely. As a petrolhead, there's also a chateau near Beaune that has the most eclectic collection of cars, fire engines, jet planes, motorbikes and all sorts of other random stuff worth looking at!
We did a trip a couple of years ago that took us from there across to Sancerre and then on to Beaune - Sancerre as a place is a bit disappointing, although the wine is good. Beaune was lovely. As a petrolhead, there's also a chateau near Beaune that has the most eclectic collection of cars, fire engines, jet planes, motorbikes and all sorts of other random stuff worth looking at!
I lived in Saumur. My mate was winemaker at Joseph Verdier. I know a bit. He has forgotten more than the rest of us will ever know. Best dry white, Savennieres. No question. Best fizz, Bouvet as mentioned earlier. Avoid Bouvet reds at ALL costs. Best red, depends. Usually Chinon, I forget which is very sought after. Anjou can be good, and for a left field choice a good Chateaux d Ancienis. Hard to find outside Ancenis itself. Best sweet, Q de C and Bonnezeaux as before.
Have fun, my old house is 2 minutes from Bouvet, I used to joke that if I tunnelled my cellar I'd break into their cave.
The co-op s are good. I used to work near the one in St Cyr, very good value.
But don't obsess about "THE BEST" try a few. I have drunk a great many, all are interesting. Best white for a kir, gros plant. Dont ever drink it on its own, it strips paint. But in kir? Nectar.
Have fun, my old house is 2 minutes from Bouvet, I used to joke that if I tunnelled my cellar I'd break into their cave.
The co-op s are good. I used to work near the one in St Cyr, very good value.
But don't obsess about "THE BEST" try a few. I have drunk a great many, all are interesting. Best white for a kir, gros plant. Dont ever drink it on its own, it strips paint. But in kir? Nectar.
Within Chinon, Cravant is generally regarded as a cut above the others. However as I said earlier on, "the best" is a matter of opinion. A better approach to my mind is to comapre the neighbouring appelations. Saumur Champigny, and to a lesser extent Saumur, is very distinctive, Chinon is more delicate and less earthy, with Bourgeuil and Bourgeuil St Nicolas between the two. Look on a map and you'll see why. To be fair though I could never tell Saumur from Saumur-Champigny or Bourgeuil from BsN. Similarly Anjou and Anjou-Villages. They are just too sinilar and geographically near. With enough tasting though (what a chore) you will learn to tell Saumur from chinon or Bourgeuil.
The odd one out is Ancenis as mentioned above, it's Gamay based while the rest are Cabernet Franc with occasional bits of Cab sauv. It makes for a distinctively unusual wine for the region.
The odd one out is Ancenis as mentioned above, it's Gamay based while the rest are Cabernet Franc with occasional bits of Cab sauv. It makes for a distinctively unusual wine for the region.
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