Touraine: Beyond Chenonceaux
After my report on more than 40 wines from Touraine Chenonceaux I continue my deep dive into the waters of Touraine in this second instalment, with another 90-plus tasting notes exploring the Touraine Amboise, Touraine Azay-le-Rideau, Touraine Mesland and Touraine Oisly zones.
As I have already noted in my Touraine Chenonceaux article, the super-Touraines were created during the 1950s to provide a safe haven for Chenin Blanc, once a leading variety in the Touraine region, but which at the time was at risk of being entirely ousted by the seemingly unstoppable march of Sauvignon Blanc. The fact that the early 20th century was marked by widespread replanting, after phylloxera, only hastened the shift from Chenin to Sauvignon.
Touraine Azay-le-Rideau
The first of the super-Touraines to be ratified was Touraine Azay-le-Rideau, in 1953, accompanying a reworking of the broader Touraine appellation. This super-Touraine was situated along the banks of the Indre and, as the name suggests, around the town of Azay-le-Rideau, famed for its elegant Renaissance château. Within this new safe-zone only Chenin Blanc was permitted for whites, while Sauvignon was strictly interdit, although in 1976 the rules were relaxed to also include a variety of red grapes, albeit only for the production of rosé, an acknowledgement of the region’s historical association with this style. Today the rosés of Azay-le-Rideau are arguably better received than the whites.
For many years vignerons such as Pascal Pibaleau, Gaston Pavy and Robert Denis defined what this super-Touraine could achieve; sadly these names are now of historical interest only, and today the most interesting wines probably hail from Domaine des Hauts Baigneux or Le Sot de L’Ange.
Touraines Amboise & Mesland
In 1955 there came two more geographical denominations, again intended to promote the ongoing cultivation of Chenin over Sauvignon. Touraine Amboise is the more significant of the two. Its focus is the town of Amboise, with its imposing château – once a royal residence – which towers above the waters of the Loire. The appellation runs along both banks of the river, as far down as Noizay (the periphery of the Vouvray appellation) on the right bank, and it touches Lussault-sur-Loire (the first commune of the Montlouis-sur-Loire appellation) on the left bank.
