Salon des Vins de Loire

The Salon des Vins de Loire (or Loire Valley Wine Trade Fair) is an annual event held in Angers each February. I enjoy going as it’s a small fair with an intimate feel. There are about 600 exhibitors and it takes place over 3 days – so plenty of time to taste the 77 AOCs that make up the third largest wine region in France. Open and friendly, the Salon des Vins de Loire is the first international ‘get together’ in the annual wine calendar. Everyone is in good spirits - I guess they are all still fresh from the Christmas break!

I came to the fair to catch-up with our partner winery, Alliance Loire, and to check out the new vintage Loire wines. The 2010s are looking good so far.
@InterLoire Pascal Girault


Here are my thoughts on what I’ve tasted:

WHITES
The whites are fresher and more typical compared to the 2009s which were very ripe and softer than usual.
• Muscadets are showing fresh pineapple and melon fruit, bright acids and typical minerality. Most 2010 tasted are tank samples and some wines are still ‘sur lie’ but they will be fantastic with some mussels in a few months’ time.
• Touraine Sauvignon Blancs are racy with lifted aromas and a fresh prickly palate feel and good flavour depth. Again, most are tank samples and are not complete but the potential is clear – certainly a good year.
• Saumur Blancs have an exotic fruit, rich pineapple, honey and white floral lift. There is a rich palate there with lots of flavour and acid to play with. Again they are showing good characters that should be appreciated by the British palate.

REDS
2010 is a greener year with fresher character than 2009. With careful handling, the results look potentially good to very good.
• Saumur Rouges have bright fruit notes on the nose, a touch of twiggy spice and surprising weight and smoothness on the palate – this seems to be the hallmark of the reds this vintage from the Loire.
• Chinons also have a smooth density to the palate carrying the flavour with good length. The best wines have fine tannins.
• Saumur Champigny has bright cherry notes with rich blueberry and mulberry. It has smooth, rounded fruit weight with good flavour and a touch of green spice which, handled with care, will integrate well. It will certainly be fantastic with some roast lamb – delicious.

Right! Back to the tasting.....


Nick Butler

The Salon des Vins de Loire (or Loire Valley Wine Trade Fair) is an annual event held in Angers each February. I enjoy going as it’s a small fair with an intimate feel. There are about 600 exhibitors and it takes place over 3 days – so plenty of time to taste the 77 AOCs that make up the third largest wine region in France.