The Cellar: Discoveries from France's Loire Valley

The Cellar: Discoveries from France's Loire Valley

The Loire is one of France’s larger wine regions, covering more than 185,000 planted acres. While the leading grapes varietals in the Loire are Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, virtually every other grape varietal known to man is grown there. Because of this it is hard to make any generalizations regarding Loire wine, except perhaps to cite one signature characteristic - zesty acidity. As with any other region, the best way to get to know the wines of the Loire is to taste as many of them as possible. Should this be your quest, Eno Fine Wines, located on Westminster St. in downtown Providence, is the place to go. There you will find a great selection of Loire wines and a knowledgably and friendly staff ready to assist you.

2009 Domaine du Pas Saint Martin Saumur La Pierre Frite Blanc

The vineyards in the Loire are located along the banks of France’s largest river, which gives the valley its name. Stretching east-west for hundreds of miles, the region’s more than 50 appellations makes every imaginable style of

wine - still, sparkling, dry, sweet, red, white and rosé. This week’s wines are all from the middle of the Loire, which is divided into two parts; Anjou-Saumur to the west and Touraine to the east.

Laurent Charrier and his mother run Domaine du Pas Saint Martin, which is a certified organic farm in the heart of Saumur. The ‘La Pierre Frite’ is 100% Chenin Blanc made from 30+ year old vines planted in limestone soils. A lightly floral nose also displays interesting citrus fruits and minerality. On the palate the wine immediately zings you with fresh lemon zest. It continues to finish long with lingering honeysuckle and minerality notes. 

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2006 Domaine de la Noblaie Chinon Rouge “Les Chiens-Chiens”

This week’s second wine is from the eastern part of central Loire, the Touraine. This part of the Loire is the source of this region’s best red wines, among them the ones in and around the town of Chinon. This area is dedicated to the

production of wines based on the aromatic and delicious grape varietal Cabernet Franc.

One of the better producers is La Noblaie, a 45-acre Domaine and one of the area's oldest. The single vineyard 2006 “Les Chiens-Chiens” (literally meaning ‘the dogs-dogs') has a lot going on for it; it is spicy, earthy and displays a lot of black fruit. It is a dry wine with mouthwatering acidity and tannins that soften as the wine opens up. Let it aerate for an hour for maximum enjoyment. 

2010 Domaine Du Salvard Cheverny Rosé

Since opening its doors in 2007, Eno has stocked its shelves with an eclectic selection of fine artisan wine. The selection has since surpassed 1,000, the majority of them from Europe and many of them in the popular $10-$25 price

range. Along side a great selection of sparkling wines, Eno also boasts quite the selection of Rosé’s, among them the 2009 Domaine Du Salvard; a Rosé of Pinot Noir and Gamay made by the Delaille family in Cheverny located in northeastern part of Touraine.

Established in 1898 the Domaine is now operated by the 5th generation of the Delaille family; the brothers Emmanuel & Thierry. The plantings that make their rosé only cover 3 of the Domaine’s 105 acres, so this is truly a limited production wine. The acidity in the 2010 is vibrant and makes for a fresh wine filled with both grapefruit and lemon flavors, but also some tart red raspberries. Deeeeelish! 

Enjoy! And don't miss Eno's weekly wine tastings, Fridays 4-6pm, Saturdays 3:30-5:30pm.

If you have any wine-related questions, comments or concerns feel free to email [email protected]. And as always, don’t forget to follow GoLocalProv’s Wine Cellar on Facebook.