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Guide
to the Loire regions
Val du
Loir
The Vineyards of Jasnières, Coteaux du
Loir
and the Vendômois
Permitted
Grape Varieties
Pineau
d’Aunis
Synonymes:
Chenin Noir, Gros Véronais, Plant d’Aunis, Plant d’Anjou, Mont Chenin,
Pineau Rouge, Côt á Queuque Rouge, Côt á Bourgeons Blanc, Mançais
Noir, Plant de Mayet.
Chenin
Noir is the name given by Count Louis Odart in the 1860s. Gros Véronais
originates from the Pays du Véron, the triangle of land that is found at
the confluence of the Loire and Vienne, and just a few kilometres away
from Dampierre, the grape’s ancestral home in the
Loire
.
Origin
and History
The variety
is a
Loire
original, although as with most varieties, no one really knows its
provenance. It was first documented in the
Loire
at the Prieuré d’Aunis, an ancient dependence of the Abbaye de
Fontevraud, in Dampierre (one of the communes found within the Saumur
Champigny appellation). The latest theory, propounded by Michel Freyssinet,
author of a book on Pineau d’Aunis, is that the vines originally came
from the Vendée and arrived in the Loire by boat, much in the same way
that Cabernet Franc did, transported by salt merchants as they sailed up
the Atlantic coast and along the
Loire
. It was believed to have been planted in Chahaignes in the
Loir
in the 9th Century. (If this is the case, then it predates the
arrival of Bréton, the local name for Cabernet Franc, by some two hundred
years. The first record of Bréton in the Loire is 1152, although it was
probably not widely planted in the
Loire
until the 17th Century). Pineau d’Aunis was once the most
revered variety in the
Loire
and a favourite of King Henry III who exported vin
clairet to the English court in the 13th Century, making
it, presumably, the original ‘claret’. Charles VII of France
offered the grape to the Duc de Bourgogne in 1425, presumably as a peace
offering, some four years before the Dauphin was crowned, in the presence
of Jeanne d’Arc, at Reims Cathedral.
Plantings
and distribution
Plantings
and distribution of Pineau d’Aunis in the
Loir
Valley
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According
to most vignerons in the
Loir
valley, Pineau d’Aunis is the best adapted variety for the region. Found
in small pockets throughout Touraine, it is, however, the principle red
grape variety for the appellation Coteaux du Loir, where it must form at
least 50% of any red or rosé blend (although this is set to rise to 65%
with proposed changes to the AoC laws in 2009), and for that of the
Coteaux du Vendômois, where there is a 40% minimum requirement for red
wines, and it is the only permitted cépage
for the production of gris.
There
is currently a revival in the fortunes of the grape, yet as recently as
thirty years ago there was a danger the variety might well become extinct.
In 1973, plantings in the Coteaux du Loir had dwindled to just 16
hectares, although by 2005 it had recovered to represent 22% of total
vineyard plantings in the appellation. In the Vendômois, its presence in
1995 was also looking worryingly low at just 100 hectares, accounting for
half of all plantings in the region at that time. A further 85 hectares
have been established since that date and it now represents around 40% of
total plantings. The trend in the Vendômois from the 1970s onwards was to
plant more Gamay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc as the region sought
greater recognition and attempted to gain Appellation Contrôlée status.
Thankfully, this trend has since been reversed.
The
arrival of the Paris to Bordeaux TGV line in the early 1980s could have potentially dissected
the vineyards around Vendôme and put further pressure on Pineau d’Aunis
as a viable variety within the region. In reality, not too many vineyards
were lost during the re-zoning process, but the threat galvanised the
growers to establish a conservatoire,
a genetic bank of cuttings from old vineyard material, with the objective
of creating a wider choice of vine stock for future generations to select
from.
During the years of crisis it scarcely made sense for retiring
vignerons
to grub up their unwanted vines as much of the wine produced from these
grapes would have been destined for their own table. There was certainly
no commercial reason to replace the vines with an alternative crop. As a
result, many old Pineau d’Aunis (along with Chenin) vineyards were
simply left abandoned. Even today, in a time of revitalized interest in
the vineyards of the Loir, it is possible to see evidence of parcels that have been left untouched
for decades.
The neglect and abandonment of the past generations has, however, ensured
there is a healthy resource of small parcels of old vineyards, and these
vines are now getting a second chance. There is a new generation of
growers who are recovering these ancient ceps
and starting to bring them back into production; it is not difficult to
find vignerons who claim to have Pineau d’Aunis vines which date back
to the late 19th Century. A few can even claim to have some pieds
that predate the arrival of phylloxera itself.
Historically, Pineau d’Aunis would always have been planted on the less
distinguished sites, either on the plateaux or on the fertile plains, thus
preserving the best slopes for the cultivation of Chenin, which is where
this variety needed to be to ripen fully. Whilst it may struggle to ripen
in most years on the poorer land, Pineau d’Aunis can at least be
vinified into rosé, even when the grapes were not fully mature. With this
laisser-faire attitude towards
the variety, it is easy to understand why it fell from favour: second
class sites ensure second class wines, which is the reason why growers who
have now embraced the variety are ensuring that it is planted on the most
suitable terroirs, although
perhaps only for the benefit of the next generations of vignerons.
Beyond the Loir valley, Pineau d’Aunis is to be found in Anjou
where it is one of the permitted grape varieties in the production of Rosé
de la Loire and Rosé d’Anjou as well as for sparkling wines of all
colours. It is, understandably, written into the permitted list of
varieties for the Saumur-Champigny appellation (although I have yet to
come across an example that incorporates it), as well as for the wines of
Valençay.
The
Characteristics of the Vine
Soil
Pineau
d’Aunis is a very terroir sensitive
vine and the soil plays a vital role in its ability to express its origin.
The more clay, the cooler the site, and invariably the water retention
capacity of the soil will also be higher, resulting in retarded ripening.
On the slopes, where greater concentrations of limestone can be expected,
accelerated ripening can have a profoundly positive effect on the
aromatics and finesse.
Growing
Season
According to
grower Jean-Marc Renvoise, ‘Pineau d’Aunis is neither capricious nor
linear’. The variety has a tendency to bud irregularly, appearing four
to five days before Chenin, although it is not considered a precocious
Variety. It buds well in advance of Cabernet Franc, yet is much later than
Gamay, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, so the frost risk is relatively low. Flowering is more regular and around the same time as Chenin. Its
flowers do not abort easily and it offers a good set and potential crop.
The younger vines tend to grow vigorously and can quickly become exhausted
in the early spring and summer, so it is necessary to contain the growth
early on in the growing cycle. It is a naturally robust and fertile
variety and was highly prized in past times for its productivity. With
high yields however, comes dilution in colour, extract and alcohol, so
severe pruning is required to control the size and number of bunches. It
is also necessary to maintain an open canopy lest the leaves become
susceptible to grey rot and mildew. Whilst the yield for both the Coteaux
du Vendômois and Coteaux du Loir appellations might be set at 55hl/ha for
red wines, 45hl/ha is advisable for Pineau d’Aunis to retain any sense
of character and quality. Careful choice of rootstock and sowing
competitive vegetation in the rows are ways of controlling the natural
vigour. Pineau d’Aunis is generally harvested before Chenin, but the
ripening cycle can follow very closely. Obviously, it harvested earlier
for the production of gris, usually
by around two weeks. For red wines, it depends very much on the style of
wine to be made.
Berries, Bunches, Stems, Shoots and Leaves
In
the vineyard Pineau d’Aunis is easily recognisable, even in winter, by
the colour of its wood, and in the growing season by its stalks and the
veins on its leaves, all of which are a deep blue/purple. In this sense it
is similar to Gamay with its strong, woody red stalks, but in the autumn
it is distinguished by the leaves which begin to turn a violent shade of
red. Its fine, long tendrils and the shape of the leaves are very close to
that of Chenin. Many vignerons, including someone as well respected as Joël
Gigou, when questioned on the relationship between ‘Chenin Noir’ and
Chenin Blanc answer very clearly: that the two are ‘very closely related
cousins’. The thick, medium sized, crimson coloured berries contain
plenty of juicy flesh, taste slightly acidic and are covered with a black,
downy, cotton wool-like bloom. The bunches are compact and cone shaped,
which help to justify its pinot/pineau ‘pine cone’ name. Whilst the
above description might sound comprehensive, there is some variation due
to massale selected vines. Even
the quality rated vineyard material can offer large berried bunches as
well as small concentrated grapes, and there is even talk of
‘teinturier’ mutations of Pineau d’Aunis which I am assured are not
hybrids, but a natural mutation of the vine.
Clones
vs Sélection Massale
For
propagation the authorities have put into wider circulation two different
clones numbered, rather romantically, 235 and 289. The latter is the more
productive and is presumably targeted at those growers who wish to exploit
the trend for making gris.
However, any quality vigneron
believes that the only true way to propagate Pineau d’Aunis is by
employing massale selection, an age old method of taking cuttings from a
broad selection of different vines in order to create a natural wealth of
plant diversity.
Rootstock
Riparia
Gloire de Montpellier
is considered the quality choice for both Pineau d’Aunis and Chenin in
the region. Whilst the ground needs to be well prepared in advance to
accept the new plantings, ‘gloire’, as it is commonly known, has a naturally de-vigourating
effect on the plant as well as offering excellent quality fruit; it also
appears to be less sensitive to wood diseases such as esca.
The alternative lies in the widely used SO4. Devised in the 1960s, its
introduction throughout
France
(and possibly the world) coincided with an age when quantity ruled over
quality. It was sold to a generation of vignerons
as a commercial saviour, but in reality its tendency (with Chenin, at
least) was to promote excessive vigour in the vine, which leads, in turn,
to other problems such as rot and mildew in the canopy. In the words of
some growers, it also denatures the character of the variety in question.
Many see that manipulating nature has created other more serious problems,
such as those which relate to cryptogamic diseases such as esca and eutypiosis which
have allegedly arrived as a result of adopting the likes of SO4. For some
growers, the choice of rootstock is purely pragmatic and based on the terroir.
Poor soils need a more prolific rootstock, whereas richer, more fertile
clay based sites need to be de-vigourated. Finally, Pineau d’Aunis is
sensitive to chlorosis, and SO4 becomes an obvious choice to help combat
the disease in sites that might be naturally rich in calcium.
One final alternative exists when replanting, although this is primarily
for the propagation of missing vines within an otherwise healthy vineyard.
Marcottage is an age old method of taking a shoot from a
neighbouring vine at the end of the growing season and running it below
the earth in the vacant space. With time, the shoot develops its own roots
and can eventually be detached from the mother plant. Whilst this is how
the majority of vines were propagated in
France
prior to phylloxera, is doesn’t render the plant immune to the attack
from the aphid, and so can only really be seen as a short term solution
used on an individual basis.
Wine
styles
In many ways
Pineau d’Aunis is perhaps just as versatile as Chenin in the style of
wines it can produce. Clearly Chenin cannot be vinified red, but it is
capable of every possible expression in the spectrum of white, from
sparkling through to sweet. Although sparkling wines do not form part of
the appellations of the Loir, Pineau d’Aunis is used widely here in Méthode
Traditionnelle, commercialised as a simple Vin de Table. As a base
wine, it can be the sole component, but it can also be found blended with
both Chenin and Chardonnay.
Most of Pineau d’Aunis’s recent success is due to a growing market for
Rosé wines in
France
. Whilst Rosé might only be between 15-20% of the production in the
Coteaux du Loir, it is becoming much more significant in the Vendômois,
where it is curiously referred to as gris,
or to be even for parochial, gris
poivré or oeil de gardon
(literally ‘roach eye’). In the Coteaux du Vendômois appellation, the
production of gris is strictly controlled; firstly it had to 100% Pineau d’Aunis
and pale colour extracted by crushing directly through the press rather
than by any extended maceration with the skins. The wines are then
vinified dry and will have an alcohol of between 9.5% and 12%. The
regulations in the Coteaux du Loir appellation is much less strict for the
production of rosé, and it is possible to find examples produced by
maceration, saignée and pressurage
direct.
With
regards to red wines, Pineau d’Aunis can be found, legally, as a mono-cépage
in the Coteaux du Loir. In the Vendômois there is an obligation to
blend with Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir or Gamay, and this is one of the
rare examples within the whole of the
Loire
valley where blends (for either red of white wines) are encouraged by the
appellation laws. Until the appellation came into place in 2000, it was
possible to blend in Cabernet Sauvignon and Côt too, and some growers
such as Jean Martellière see their outlawing as ‘regrettable’.
Generally, Cabernet Franc is the better blending partner, although one
would have thought that Pinot Noir would have been the most sympathetic
given it shares some similarity to Pineau d’Aunis, however many growers
however, believe that the two varieties do not make a satisfactory blend.
There is no question, moreover, that the finest expression of Pineau
d’Aunis is as a single grape variety, although in some occasional
instance it may be bolstered, for colour at least, by a little old vine
Gamay (see below). Quality is dependent on yield, and it must be harvested
at below 40 hl/ha to stand any chance of this; more likely yields for very
old vines will be at best half of this. Like Pinot Noir, it is a fickle
variety, difficult to tame in the vineyard as well as in the cellar.
Managing the vinification is a challenge, trying to coax out the inherent
flavours of the grape without over extracting. For the most part, this
means a long, cool fermentation, often below 20˚c, to help avoid any
hot, baked aromas and flavours creeping into the final wine.
Characteristics
of the wine
Pineau
d’Aunis: once tasted, never forgotten. Like Pinot Noir, it is light in
appearance and has a tendency to show some premature orange, garnet edges
early in its evolution. It is, unless the grower is working with very low
yielding vines, a variety with low anthocyanins. Colour can be
concentrated by conducting a saignée,
but for the most part one needs to accept that it produces red wines of
shallow depth. The level of intensity on the nose and palate however, can
often defy the wines appearance. Aromas and flavours of strawberries,
raspberries, kirsch or griottes (morello
cherries) are prevalent, but the overwhelming character is that of pepper,
both white and black. Some growers state that the evidence of white pepper
is a sign of unripe fruit and that when fully ripe the spectrum of
flavours becomes denser and with a strong impression of different spices.
With greater ripeness of fruit however, comes the risk of more confit
aromas and flavours with the wine loosing its sense of delicacy and
filigree like texture. There is also a purity of fruit that one can
occasionally find with Pinot Noir. Because of its northern location,
invariably the acidity plays a role in the wine’s structure, but the
fresh and juicy profile only helps to lift and enhance the overall
experience. The amount of tannins present relates directly to the age of
the vines and the way the wine was vinified, but they can be noticeable in
their youth. It also depends on the style of wine the grower is trying to
achieve: for the most part, the trend within the region of production is
to drink the wines early, so often there is a commercial decision made to
vinify the wine to suit the market.
Ageability

Since
the tradition and demand in the region is for red wines that are
immediately approachable and the amount vinified into rosé is
significant, there is little opportunity to find examples that have been
allowed to age. Moreover the growers, even the likes of Joël Gigou, view
the variety as a vin de l’année or a wine that is best drunk within three to five
years. Finally, we have already
seen that the majority of Pineau d’Aunis finds its way into blended red
wines, and unfortunately it is only the most quality conscious growers who
produce examples that are pure.
Gamay
Gamay
Noir á Jus Blanc (or Gamay Beaujolais as it is known locally) is more
recent choice throughout the region. In reality plantings are now
declining, particularly in the Coteaux du Vendômois where it is no longer
a permitted variety for rosé wines (it was allowed for up to 30% of the
blend prior to appellation being granted in 2000) and its role in red
wines has been limited to 20% of the
assemblage; it will legally diminish to only 10% from 2016.
Whilst Gamay ‘Beaujolais’ might have been endorsed by the authorities,
the fact remains that much of the Gamay in the region is old material, and
often referred to collectively as Gamay Teinturier; hybrids that were
developed post-phylloxera and used primarily to bolster the red appearance
of pale red wines like Pineau d’Aunis. About 1,000 hectares of Gamay
Teinturier were grubbed up in
Burgundy
during the 1970s. More specifically, there appears to be three different
varieties planted through the
Loir
, Gamay Fréau (also called Gamay a Jus Rouge Teinturier), Gamay Chaudenay
and Gamay Bouse, which was planted during the 1960s. Some growers believe
that the latter two are not hybrids, but mutations of selection
massale vines. Hybrids are not legally permitted for Appellation Contrôlée
wines, but invariably some are included, either by design or by neglect.
Gamay (of all persuasions) represents around 7% of the vineyard area of
the Coteaux du Loir and generally ripens at the same time as the Pineau
d’Aunis. In fact, it is common to find an odd row alongside, or a few
Gamay vines planted at the end of the row, although it is rarely
interplanted. Historically, where Gamay was planted to help to add colour
and substance, it was done in an age before mechanisation when it could
be, if necessary, separated out. Unfortunately, mechanical harvesters are
less discriminating.
Cabernet
Franc
This
variety represents around 4% of the vineyard plantings of the Coteaux du
Loir and also plays an important part in the Coteaux du Vendômois, where
its use in the red wines of the appellation is is allowed to a minimum 10%
and a maximum of 40%. Plantings of the variety since the appellation came
into effect in 2000 have now stabilized.
Côt
Côt, or Malbec, represents around 4% of the vineyard plantings of the
Coteaux du Loir, although it is no longer permitted in the Vendômois for
wines that carry the appellation.
Pinot
Noir
Not
permitted in the Coteaux du Loir, but authorised in the Coteaux du Vendômois.
Planting Pinot Noir here has been encouraged by the INAO since the
creation of the appellation in 2000. The legislation stipulates the same
proportion as for Cabernet Franc can be used, with a minimum 10% and a
maximum of 40%.
Cabernet
Sauvignon
The grape
was introduced in the Vendômois during the 1960s, although one questions
the ability of the fruit to ripen this far north. It was not included in
the AC laws of 2000 which some, such as Jean Martellière, think is
‘regrettable’ as they believe it to be a good blending companion for
Pineau d’Aunis.
Chenin
Blanc
Chenin
is the primary grape variety in the
Loir
and accounts for two-thirds of all plantings in the Coteaux du Loir
appellation and is the sole cépage
permitted in Jasnières. It is quite common to find vineyards here that
are between 80 and 100 years old. Although clones are widely used (the
preferred one being 3309 with 220 and 880 also available), the better
producers take the same approach to selecting material, and the rootstock
for new Chenin plantings, as they do with their Pineau d’Aunis.
Sauvignon
Blanc and Sauvignon Gris
Allowed for Vin de Pays in the Vendômois where they often blended.
Malvoisie
Planted
in the 1950s in the Vendômois, but has since disappeared.
Pinot
Blanc
Permitted
for Vin de Pays in the Vendômois, but very little planted.
Meslier
Saint-François
Not
permitted, but I did find one grower, Charles Jumet in the Vendômois, who
has a small parcel and makes a single wine from it. He took cuttings from
a vineyard that was due to be sacrificed for the arrival of the TGV line
in the early 1980s. See his grower profile for more details.
The
list below is taken from Vignes et Vins de France – 1962 - Poulain/Jacquelin
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LOIR-ET-CHER
Recommended
Varieties:
‘average
yielders’ – Aligoté, Arbois, Chardonnay, Gascon, Gris Meunier,
Landot 244, Melon (Muscadet), Romorantin
‘large
yielders’ – Meslier Saint-François
Permitted
Varieties:
‘small
yielder’ – Seibel 10173
‘average
yielders’ – Gamay teinturiers, Seibel
4986/5455/8357/8745/11803/13666, Seyve Villard 5276
‘large
yielders’ – Grolleau, Seyve Villard 18315
SARTHE
Recommended
Varieties:
‘average
yielders’ – Aligoté, Chardonnay, Landot 244, Melon (Muscadet),
Romorantin
‘low
yielders’ – Ravat 6, Sauvignon
Permitted
Varieties:
‘small
yielder’ – Seibel 10173, Léon Millot, Kulhmann 192-2
‘average
yielders’ – Gamay teinturiers, Gris Meunier, Seibel
5455/8357/8745/13666,
‘large
yielders’ – Grolleau
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