Coteaux du Loir

The Coteaux du Loir wine-growing region is part of the Loire wine-growing region . The area is about 40 km north of the city of Tours and thus north of the Touraine area . Further east is the Coteaux du Vendômois wine-growing region . The appellation Jasnières is an enclave in the Coteaux du Loir area. The Coteaux du Loir appellation has enjoyed the status of an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée since May 12, 1948 .

The vineyards with around 72 hectares of vines lie on both sides of the Loir River on a loamy limestone soil with flint inclusions. The exposed limestone base comes from the Coniacium era . The vineyards are spread over the municipalities of Beaumont-sur-Dême , Chahaignes , Château-du-Loir , Chenu , Dissay , Flée , La Chartre-sur-le-Loir , Lhomme , Marçon , Montabon , Nogent-Ponçé , Ruillé-sur- Loir , Saint-Germain-d'Arcé , Saint-Germain-du-Val , Saint-Pierre-de-Chevillé , Vouvray-sur-Loir (all in the Sarthe department ), Bueil , Épeigné-sur-Dême , Saint-Aubin- le-Dépeint , Saint-Christophe-sur-le-Nais , Saint-Paterne and Villebourg ( Indre-et-Loire department ). The area is one of the northernmost areas of the Loire wine-growing region. The nearby Forêt de Bercé forest protects the climate from the cold northern air. The area had almost been forgotten by the 1960s. The low point was reached in 1963 with a harvest of 48 hl.

White wine, red wine and rosé wine are matured.

• The red wine is made from the Pineau d'Aunis , Cabernet Franc , Gamay and Malbec grape varieties and is fruity and light.
• The rosé wine is made from the Pineau d'Aunis, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Malbec and Grolleau grape varieties (max. 25%).
• The white wine consists 100% of the grape variety Chenin Blanc (also called Pineau de la Loire here), which is usually dry or slightly sweet.

The maximum permitted yield for all grape varieties is 55 hl / ha; an amount that can be corrected up to 65 hl / ha depending on the year. In 2002, 3090 hl of wine were pressed.

The white wine and the red wine can be stored for approx. 3–5 years; the rosé wine is intended for quick enjoyment. The rosé and the white wine should be enjoyed at 8–10 ° C, the red wine at 14–16 ° C.

literature

• Jancis Robinson : The Oxford Wine Lexicon . Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-7742-0914-6 .
• Pierre Galet : Cépages et Vignobles de France . Lavoisier Publishing House, Paris 2004, ISBN 2-7430-0585-8 .
• Benoît France: Grand Atlas des Vignobles de France . Éditions SOLAR publishing house, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-263-03242-8 .