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Guide
to the Loire regions
Orléans
and Orléans-Cléry
One
of
the
Loire’s latest
and
most controversial appellations
Mes amis que reste-iy-il (To my friends what is left)
À ce Dauphin si gentil (To this Dauphin so gentle?)
Orléans, Beaugency
Notre Dame de Cléry
Vendôme, Vendôme
- From ‘Le Clarillon de Vendôme’ a 15th Century nursery
rhyme and believed to be
France’s oldest folk song. Its melody echoes the peel of the bells of
the church towers at Vendôme and Beaugency.
Contents:
This
page:
-
Facts
and figures
-
Ten
of the best
-
Overview
-
History
-
In
the vineyard
Situation, orientation, soil and climate
The Two appellations
-
Permitted
grape varieties
-
Recent
vintages
Links:
Facts
and figures – The appellations at a glance
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Orléans
Appellation Côntrolée Status: 23 November
2006
Limit of Appellation: 2,000 hectares
Vineyards in Production: 83 hectares (2007)
Declared Production: 2,105 hectolitres
Number of Growers: 4
Number of Co-operatives: 1
Communes : 13
Wine Styles: 75% red and rosé, plus 25% white
Permitted Varieties:
White: Chardonnay – 60% minimum, Pinot Gris - cépage accessoire
Rosé: Pinot Meunier – 60% minimum, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris – cépages
accessoires
Red: Pinot Meunier - between 70% and 90%, Pinot Noir – cépage
complémentaire
Vine Density: 5,000 vines per hectare
Yield (rendement de base):
50l/ha red and rosé, 55hl/ha white
Orléans-Cléry
Appellation Côntrolée Status: 23 November
2006
Vineyards in Production: 28 hectares (2007)
Declared Production: 848 hectolitres (2007)
Number of Growers: 3
Number of Co-operatives: 1
Communes : 5
Wine Styles: red wine only
Permitted Varieties: Cabernet Franc – minimum 75%, Cabernet
Sauvignon
Vine Density: minimum 5,000 vines per hectare
Yield (rendement de base):
50hl/ha
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Ten
of the Best:
With
only a handful of growers active in these two appellations, a listing of
the ten top producers and their wines is not possible. Also, the style of
the wines ensures that these are generally consumed within the year
following the vintage, so listing the best wines would make any list out
of date as soon it was published. As an alternative, I offer the following
appraisal.
The
Best:
Bénédicte and Hubert Piel, Clos Saint-Fiacre
Up
and Coming:
Valérie Deneufbourg, un Vin une Recontre

Vines
in Mareau-aux-Près
Overview
The city of
Orléans has always been a place of historical importance. It is situated
at the Loire’s northern-most point and at the closest position to Paris
for those needing to traverse the river on their journey to the capital.
Over the centuries is has prospered through the level of trade that passed
through the city, but has also been a victim in times of conflict due to
its strategic location.
It sits some 130km south-west of Paris in the département
of Loiret, and on the edge of the administrative region of Centre, of
which it is the capital. Apart from its rich history, it is today a busy
commercial centre, a city of 113,000 people. Away from the city to the
north, one enters the flat cereal prairies of La
Petite Beauce, whilst to the south of the river, the climate seems
more clement and the agricultural focus changes; the southern Loiret being
famed for the quality of its asparagus and of its orchard fruits: apples,
pears, cherries and hazelnuts. The roads running south from Orléans are
lined with nurserymen and market gardens. This is the true Jardin
de la France.
Unfortunately, the local wine growers do not seem to command the same
respect and recognition, bearing the brunt of many a joke, in that Orléans
was, for 500 years, the capital of France’s vinegar production. More
recently, however, the controversial elevation of its microscopic vineyard
plantings in November 2006 to receive not one, but two separate
Appellation Côntrolées, at a time when pressure is being applied to the
authorities to simplify France’s wine laws, has at least brought this
somewhat neglected and misunderstood region back into the spotlight.
The obvious question is why were there two appellations created when one
might have sufficed? It’s the first thing I queried myself in
researching the region for this report. The answer is quite simple and, I
have to concede, justified. Although there is an absolute overlap in the
geographic location of the current plantings, centred on five communes,
the appellation of Orléans-Cléry is dedicated to wines produced from
Cabernet Franc, this variety playing no part in the blending of the other
red (and rosé) wines produced from Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir for the
generic Orléans AC. Whilst I can appreciate that this might only create
confusion within an already marginal appellation, it seems to be the most
sensible decision.
Whilst Orléans might be at the heart of commerce in the Centre region,
its local wine growers plough their own path, belonging to neither of the
generic wine marketing bodies of the Bureau Interprofessionel des Vins du
Centre (BIVC) or InterLoire, who represent the interests of the growers of
Touraine, Anjou-Saumur and Pays Nantais. Rabelais might well have once
compared the wines of Orléans to the best crus
of Beaune, but today without any significant voice to promote their
wines or the presence of négociants
working within the region to help widen the awareness and distribution,
the two appellations of Orléans and Orléans-Cléry are set to remain
little more than relatively undistinguished local curiosities.

Swallow nests at the Basilica de
Notre-Dame-de-Cléry
History
Cenabum
existed as a Gallic stronghold and a centre for the Carnutes tribe long
before Julius Caesar conquered and razed the settlement in 52BC. The city
was rebuilt during the reign (between 270 – 275) of the Emperor Aurelian,
proclaiming it Aurelianum which, over time, evolved into the name of Orléans. By
the 10th or 11th Century it had become the most
important city in France after Paris, primarily due to its strategic
position on the Loire.
The first evidence of vineyard plantings dates back to the year 510 with
the establishment of the Benedictine monastery of L’Abbaye de Micy at
Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin, now a suburb of Orléans on its rive
gauche. Gregory of Tours, a significant source of documented history
relating to wine wrote, sometime between 576 and 584, in his
Historia Francorum that
merchants looking for large supplies of wine had turned to Orléans for
their business, so suggesting that vineyards were already fully
established during the late 6th Century. Charlemagne (742 –
814) is said to have developed a clos
in Saint-Euverte, a suburb of Orléans, which carried his name until it
was abandoned in the 19th Century, due presumably to urban
encroachment, or the onset of phylloxera.
Documents dating from the 11th Century show that vines extended
in a continuous cordon along the banks of the Loire from Châteauneuf-sur-Loire
to Beaugency and as far north as Rebréchien, some 8km north of Orleans.
At the same time, the vineyards of Olivet and Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Mesmin
were said to be better known than those of Burgundy and Bordeaux. In order
protect the good reputation of Orléans and to prevent fraud, the wine
growers – and by now, vinegar producers - began to form Guilds to help
secure their industries. In 1394 the vinegar makers had formed the Corporation
des vinaigriers, buffetiers, sauciers et moutardiers d'Orléans, their
Guild being officially recognised by Henri IV, exactly two hundred years
later, in 1594.
In the mid 14th Century Orléans had become the centre of the
Royal Duchy following its establishment by Philip VI in 1344. During the
One Hundred Years’ War (1337 – 1453) the city was besieged by the
English at the Siege of Orleans in 1428, before being famously liberated
by Jean d’Arc in April 1429, after which she was forever adopted as la
pucelle: the Maid of Orléans. By the 15th Century the
vineyards around the city and along the adjacent banks were as established
as those of Bordeaux are today. In Renaissance France, the city became the
fashionable gateway for touring the royal domains of Chambord, Blois,
Amboise and Chenonceaux, with les
vins orléanais being poured on noblest tables.
By 1610 these vineyards had become the most populated in the world. This
followed a decision, in 1577, by the Parliament of Paris
to promulgate a law forbidding the purchase of wine produced from any area
within 20 leagues (88 kilometres) of the capital. To respond to demand,
production around Orléans was increased (at its peak it was believed that
there were around 20,000 hectares of vineyards in production), but this
was largely of cheap, table wine and the reputation of Orleans’
vineyards collapsed in the 17th and 18th centuries
as a result. The advent of phylloxera in the late 19th century
then dealt a nearly fatal blow to viticulture as a whole.
Within the past century, the wine industry has existed rather than
flourished with the vineyards only starting to regain any recognition
after the Second World War. The wines were awarded V.D.Q.S. status in
1951, some twenty years after the main wine co-operative in Mareau-aux-Près
was established. The co-op was built to accommodate 21,000 hl of wine and
was, apparently up until the late 1960s, always full. Today, it vinifies
less than a quarter of its capacity and yet is still responsible for about
three quarters of the region’s viticultural output. A second wine
co-operative operated by Covifruit, closed its doors in 1998.
Orléans and Orléans-Cléry have enjoyed full Appellation Côntrolée
status since 23rd November 2006.

In
the vineyard
Situation,
Orientation, Soil and Climate
The vineyards are set at the point where the river
diverts from its south to north axis and begins to flow from east to west.
During the last Ice Age, some 10,000 years ago, the land here was
submerged under a shallow, frozen sea. Prior to this the Loire had taken a
different course, directly north, joining the Seine and flowing out into
the English Channel. After the thaw, the river changed its course to the
one we know today, out into the Atlantic.
The region of
the northern most point of the Loire is dominated by continental weather
patterns rather than maritime influences, and this is justified in the
selection of grapes found here; primarily the Pinot family, which
including Chardonnay, are better suited to continental growing conditions.
As a result, the wines of Orléans draw their influences more from Burgundy and
Champagne, and one could view their inclusion in the Loire region as a
whole as little more than coincidental. In addition, if one considers the
history of the region and its influence whilst under the control of the
Dukes of Burgundy, it is understandable why the Pinot family has been the
dominant force for so long. The arrival of Cabernet Franc in the region is
more recent, probably in the 17th Century, which would be
contemporaneous with its arrival in Touraine.
The
two appellations
The legislation of November 2006 specifies that
there are 13 communes entitled to the Orléans appellation. Of these, nine
are situated on the right bank of the river, although in reality the vast
majority of plantings are in the five communes that lie on the rive gauche, just a few kilometres downstream from the city itself.
These sporadic parcels are found on a low plateau which runs from east to
west, with the only evidence of any continuous plantings being located on
an undistinguished north facing slope in the village of Mareau-aux-Près.
The five communes that are entitled the appellation of Orléans-Cléry are
the exact same villages that claim the generic Orléans AC; the only
difference being that the vineyards are planted with Cabernet Franc.
Consideration is given to the type of soil planted to the various
varieties although this is not enforced by the appellation laws: Meziers-lez-Cléry has more sand and clay and is better
suited to Pinot and Chardonnay, whilst Saint-Hilaire has more limestone.
Cabernet Franc is better suited to sites around Mareau–aux-Près and Cléry-Saint-André
where the soil is mainly sand and gravel over limestone.
Permitted
communes |
Orléans
– 13 Communes
RIVE
GAUCHE
:
Cléry-Saint-André
Mareau-aux-Prés
Mézières-lez-Cléry
Olivet
Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Mesmin
RIVE DROITE:
Baule
Beaugency
Chécy
Orléans
Mardié
Meung-sur-Loire
Saint-Ay
Saint-Jean-de-Braye
Orléans-Cléry
- 5 communes
Cléry-Saint-André
Mareau-aux-Prés
Mézières-lez-Cléry
Olivet
Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Mesmin
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Permitted
grape varieties
Pinot
Meunier
Gris Meunier, as it is known locally, is the oldest
and most widely planted variety in the region and one of the very few
appellations where it is vinified as a red wine. It is generally more
precocious during the growing season than Pinot Noir and delivers very
small yields. It is sensitive to pourriture
gris and difficult to grow. A total of 50 hectares of Pinot Noir and
Pinot Meunier combined are planted within the Orléans appellation. It is
the dominant variety in the production of both red and rosé (either
through maceration or direct pressure) and normally accounts for between
70% and 90% of the final blend.
Pinot
Noir
Pinot Noir is known locally as Auvernat Rouge and it
is believed to be the original variety grown in the region. Within the
vineyard, Pinot Noir can ripen and be co-harvested with Pinot Meunier (as
with the 2006 vintage), but there is no set pattern and some years one can
be later than the other, as with Pinot Noir in 2008 when it was first to
ripen.
Pinot
Gris
Pinot Gris permitted for use in rosé and has been
available within the region for a long period of time, yet only one
grower, Clos Saint-Fiacre, chooses to exploit it. They have a total of 1.7
hectares planted with the variety.
Chardonnay
This is known locally as Auvernat Blanc and with
only 21 hectares planted through the entire Orléans appellation, white
wines are in the minority within the region.
Cabernet Franc (Breton)
Cabernet Franc is permitted for use in the
appellation Orléans-Cléry only. The variety probably arrived here at the
same time as in Touraine and historically it has only ever been planted on
the south side of the river. It is known locally as Noir.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Tolerated in Orléans-Cléry to maximum of 25%,
although no one appears to have any planted and it is due to be outlawed
in the Appellation after 2020.
Sauvignon
Blanc and Sauvignon Gris
Permitted for the local Vin de Pays.
Gamay
Permitted for the local Vin de Pays, although it is
widely planted.
Vine
density and pruning
A minimum of 5,000 vines per hectare, planted not
more than 2 metres between the row and 1 metre within the row with Guyot
simple being the permitted trellising system. This is the same for both
appellations.
Declared
Plantings |
Orléans AC (VDQS until 2006)
2007
– 83ha
2005 – 88ha
2003 – 90ha
2002 – 132ha
Orléans- Cléry AC (VDQS until 2006)
2007
- 28ha
2005 - 35ha
2003 – 36ha
2002 – 12ha
Orléans VDQS
2001
– 127ha
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Recently
declared production
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Orléans AC (VDQS until 2006)
2007-
1,579hl rouge et rosé / 526hl blanc
2003-
1,406hl rouge et rosé / 570hl blanc
2002-
2,934 hl rouge et rosé / 745hl blanc
Orléans-Cléry AC (VDQS until 2006)
2007–
848hl
2005 – 1,441hl
2003- 929hl
2002- 478hl
Orléans VDQS
2001-
3,125hl rouge et rosé / 954hl blanc
1986- 7,688hl rouge et rosé / 155hl blanc
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Recent
Vintages
2008
Very good
quality, although there was some localised hail. Two growers harvested at
just 20hl/ha and 30hl/ha due to the damage caused by a late frost.
2007
Frost in May
posed a threat. Otherwise a dry vintage.
2006
A small crop
following an unexpected and very late and localised frost on the 1st
June. Some growers lost 50% of their production.
2005
Very good
quality and volume.
2001
Hubert Piel
failed to harvest this vintage due to pourriture.
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