Loire 2015 First Taste: Touraine
Occasionally in wine circles you hear the question asked “what’s your desert-island wine?” and I think such a pointless question deserves a suitably ridiculous answer. I think my first choice would be a bocksbeutel of Franconian Riesling within which I had previously secreted a satellite telephone, so that I could mobilise a rescue and return to civilisation – and of course then drink any wine under the sun – as soon as possible. If that’s not allowed, then I must insist on taking not one wine, but an entire wine region.
That wine region would be have to be Touraine of course. This would give me some superb sparkling wines from the top names in Vouvray and Montlouis, which I would maintain at the correct temperature in my two-temperature-zone wine cabinet (assuming it’s not just wine I get to choose to take with me). There is some very good Sauvignon Blanc in Touraine, not to mention Menu Pineau and Romorantin in Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny, and these would make nice alternatives to the Vouvray and Montlouis Sec I would undoubtedly be dipping into quite frequently. These would all be served in carefully chosen crystal glasses (I can choose my glasses as well, surely?). For reds I am spoilt for choice, as I will be able to fill my desert-island cellar with Chinon, Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil, not to mention Pinot Noir from Cheverny, should I be in that frame of mind. I will need a range of options of course, in order to ensure a perfect match between my wines and the ever-changing menu conjured up by my two personal cooks (did I mention I was taking Raymond Blanc and Pierre Troisgros along as captive chefs?). I will finish each evening with the greatest sweet wines from Montlouis and Vouvray again, each new glass carefully poured by Penelope Cruz.
Whaddya mean, I’m not taking this seriously?
You get the idea though; Touraine really does have it all. Arguably we find here the Loire Valley’s most noteworthy dry white and red appellations, splendid sparkling wines, and the sweet wines of Montlouis and Vouvray are almost unparalleled. Happily, it seems to me that all these regions enjoyed a very good vintage in 2015, and so we can expect great things to come from them over the next couple of years.
