Loire Valley Wine Guide: Other Red Varieties
So that’s Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Grolleau, Pineau d’Aunis and Côt all done. As with the white varieties, however, there are many other less iconic red varieties waiting to be discovered in the Loire Valley. Some are viticulturally significant now, while some have great yet still untapped potential.
The varieties I have decided to cover in this final instalment of my grape guides include Cabernet Sauvignon, which has had a presence in the Loire Valley almost as long as it has in Bordeaux, and which is included in the list of permitted varieties for more appellations than you might imagine, although it is really in the Anjou-Villages, and Anjou Brissac appellations that its star shines most brightly. Pinot Meunier also gets a look-in, because it plays a significant part in the Touraine Noble Joué and Orléans appellations. And it is not the only Pinot clone to warrant a mention here, because Pinot Gris also plays a role in the Loire Valley roll-call of permitted varieties, as this is an authorised variety not only in Touraine Noble Joué and Orléans, but also in Reuilly.
Of them all, the most significant in terms of plantings is Cabernet Sauvignon, so I will start here.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Although this is perhaps the world’s best-known grape, one that is found growing somewhere in almost every viticulturally-minded nation on the planet, its role in the Loire Valley is a minor one. It perhaps first springs to mind in the context of famous appellations such as Chinon and Saumur-Champigny, both of which are predominantly Cabernet Franc but which also permit Cabernet Sauvignon as a secondary blending variety. In practice, however, most if not all of the top wines are 100% Cabernet Franc, and many quality-minded growers still cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon are likely to downgrade it to their rosé. And of course there is also its role in the pink and fun-filled rosé Cabernet d’Anjou. Where Cabernet Sauvignon really comes into its own, however, is as a red wine, in the Anjou, Anjou-Villages and Anjou Brissac appellations. Here is where we find the iconic, individual, cellar-worthy wines we should expect from this variety.
