Le Tasting Room

A little information on rosé wines from the Loire valley which I thought appropriate on this Valentine's  Day 2010.

There are three main appellations for rosé wine in the Loire valley.

Rosé de Loire

This appellation potentially covers the whole of Anjou and Touraine and produces around 60,000hl of wine from around 1,000 hectares of planting.  Grape varieties permitted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Cot, Pineau d'Aunis and Grolleau.  Best drunk young, the wines are normally dry and have aromas of summer fruits.

Rosé d'Anjou

Covering the same area as Rosé de Loire, this appellation currently produces around 110,000hl from around 2,4000 hectares of planting.  The same 6 grape varities are permitted but in this appellation it's the Grolleau that dominates.  The main difference with Rosé d'Anjou is that it must have at least 7g/l of residual sugar (although generally less than 20g/l). Again aromas of red fruits dominate but the extra sugar makes the wines a little more mellow.  Generally drunk young but some have the capacity to age a little.

Cabernet d'Anjou

4000 hectares of planting within the Anjou appellation producing around 250,000hl of wine.  Grape varieties are restricted to just Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and the wines must have at least 10g/l of residual sugar (but sometimes much more than that).  These rosés are considered to be the best in terms of quality although personal taste is obviously an issue when it comes to the sweetness.  The best wines have lovely summer fruit notes on the nose, with a soft delicate palate that combines sweetness with a finishing touch of refreshing acidity that gives perfect balance. Most wines are drunk in their early years but some age well.

Other rosés can be found in the region as well such as Bourgueil (only 4% of production in the appellation), Chinon (around 8% of production), Coteaux du Loir (20% of production) and of course don't forget all the lovely rosé sparkling wines made by local producers such as Gratien & Meyer, Langlois Chateau and Bouvet Ladubay.