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Happy New Year! I apologize for my absence toward the end of year (!) and am resolved to be more present, writing more, and fulfilling some of the themes I left on the backburner last year. Let’s get to it.
I’m sure most French listeners would appreciate the genuine timbre of Pete Seeger’s signing. I’m struck deeply by those old scratchy recordings, the phrasing and the sentiment of his lyrics—simple and effective. I wanted to find a wine to match—a wine so penetrating that it might strike a chord with me no matter the price or place. My first post of the New Year comes from humble beginnings, an everyday drinker from the Loire.
The Loire Valley is an enchanting and expansive zone in Northwest France, producing a great range of wines from the light, crisp and mineral-driven Melon Blanc in Muscadet to the vaunted Pineau de la Loire (Chenin Blanc) found in those delicious Quarts de Chaumes. It’s also the home of some of the greatest Sauvignon Blanc in the world, and though declassified, my sample bottle of La Petite Perriere Sauvignon Blanc from Saget La Perriere was ideal for accompanying my night spinning the hauntingly beautiful Almanac Singers record.
I unscrewed the seven-fifty, poured out a healthy six-ounce glass to the tune of “I don’t Want Your Millions, Mister (All I Want),” and analyzed the Vin de France for its character. Golden with medium tears (the beads of wine clinging to the glass) showing a fragrant bouquet (medium-plus intensity) of wet blades of grass, fresh-squeezed limes, green apple and minerals. On the palate it was dry with notes similar to the nose, and decent body (medium), balanced by refreshing acidity and possessing a good finish (medium).
Though Saget La Perriere is not a small-scale producer, they are family owned, passing through nine generations and where they do not own the land, they have longstanding relationships with the farmers they purchase from. For the price, the value-minded Sauvignon Blanc over-delivered. Most likely it would satiate those thirsting for Sancerre but unable to dole out the money for their favorite producers on a Wednesday evening. I think, like me, even Pete would’ve agreed that this was a charming white wine.
409, not the cleaner (no, I favor Seventh Generation myself), instead 409 represents the number of bottles I have left to taste, after experiencing eight wines from Loire in the Northwest of France on Tuesday night. The Loire Valley has never been a hot spot on my radar of wine consumption; besides purchasing the occasional seven-fifty of Chinon, I have been otherwise willfully ignorant. I knew the area better for pears (D’anjou) than wine. A locals-only region gobbled up by the French and having little impact relative to other regions from France (with regards to the export market) because of the quality-to-price-ratio is excellent, the wines are nevertheless inexpensive and fairly versatile.
The Loire Valley features the most famous of the Gallic rivers—Loire—and produces fine examples of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, adored by the Parisians and wine nerds in the know.
The red wines of Loire Valley are known to possess strong herbal and vegetative qualities, rife with bell peppers, graphite and eucalyptus branches; they’re certainly not for everyone. The white wines on the other hand bring great acidity, balance with deposits of minerality, to compliment seafood and other less exotic fare. Food friendly vino.
Due to the massive river and the Atlantic Ocean influence, the climate is varied depending where, inside the valleys the Loire meanders through, you are; there is a continental climate spanning distinct regions with warmer areas owing to the Gulf Stream. The soils are calcareous and loaded with schist, making it a very good growing area for wide variety of vines. As a result the Loire is also responsible for many different wine styles: Crémant, botrytized Chenin Blanc, Rosés of Cabernet and greener Cabernet Franc—Chinon, also known as Breton.
In class we tried an even split of wines, four red and four whites, they were:
08 Domaine du Bourg, Muscadet, Côtes de Grandlieu, Le Pavilion
08 François Chidaine, Les Argiles, Vouvray
06 Ch Pierre-Bise Savenières Roche aux Moines
09 Domaine Sylvain Bailly Sancerre Terroirs
08 Domaine Sylvain Bailly Sancerre Rouge Loucée
08 Ch. Pierre-Bise Anjou Village Sur Schistes
03 Ch. Bel-Air Bourgueil Grand Mont
09 Ch. Bel-Air Bourgueil Jour du Soif
The body of wines showed well, nothing flashy or over-the top, definitely no favorites among the bunch. Within the white wines there were variances in flavors ranging from the Sherry-esque profile expressing toasty and nutty characteristics without having the viscosity on the palate, to more pronounced stone fruit esters. They were replete with good acidity and sometimes, as was the case with the Muscadet, a slight effervescent mouth feel.
The red wines fit the bill as well, a synthesis of vegetal qualities, slight pencil lead notes integrated with softer fruit aromatics of cherry and raspberry. The class did not quite slake my curiosity about the potential of the Loire—especially since I have yet to try the Rosé of Cabernet or the Sweet wines from the region. I feel though that the Loire has taken root inside my brain—the wines are affordable and interesting—and I will begin to adjust and correct the willful omissions from my shopping basket when I peruse the French wines of my local wine shops.
The Maverick Palate 
On the Vine