Loire 2022: First Taste
Hot on the heels of my Loire 2022 Vintage Report I present a first selection of tasting notes on the wines of this vintage, taking in a variety of styles from across the region.
Despite having organised my Loire Valley tasting notes by region for more years than I can remember, this year I present them according to variety and style. Well, a change is as good as a rest, I’m told. So after a couple of fairly embryonic pétillant naturel sparkling wines, both from the new owner of Château Gaudrelle in Vouvray as it happens, we have a trio of Folle Blanche cuvées, followed by all things Melon de Bourgogne (sorry, I just can’t bring myself to use the term Melon B, which some advocate using so that thin-skinned Burgundians don’t get upset).
After that come a few IGP and Vin de France white blends, followed by a Sauvignon Blanc smorgasbord, everything from cheap and not necessarily cheerful IGP styles, through Touraine and the infrequently seen Haut-Poitou appellation, to the more highly regarded names of the Central Vineyards. Then it is on with a handful of early-released examples of Chenin Blanc, a fine collection of rosés in all appellations, and I finish up with a selection of reds featuring Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet Franc and of course the Loire Valley’s secret weapon, Côt.
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