LOIRE IN FOCUS: Chardonnay and Sauvignon, An Unlikely Marriage – Guest Post by Chris Garry

“A perfect marriage is just two imperfect people who won’t give up on each other.” Kate Stewart.

A blend between two of the world’s most popular white grape varieties may seem peculiar, at first glance. Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay present somewhat opposing aromas, textures and flavours. Almost opposite ends of the spectrum, as far as dry white wines go.

Yet two regions of The Loire Valley not only have every right, but no other option but to marry these two global superstars together, especially if they want their regions’ name to adorn their bottles and be approved by the AOC. What is it they say about positives attract? Let’s take a closer look..

Cheverny and Valençay may be in the Loire region, but being situated a little too far from the mighty Loire River itself presents problems when producing Sauvignon. Fifty kilometres apart, both regions neighbour Touraine with Cheverny to the North and Valençay to the South.

Still wines in white, red and rosé are made in these areas. Yet, upon mention of either region’s name, the first thing that springs to mind is unlikely to be wine. Both are famous for their incredible classical renaissance style chateaux, Cheverny is better known for Chambord, its raspberry liqueur, and Valençay is revered for its sublime pyramid shaped goats cheese, bearing the same name.

In 1935, France’s wine regulations were drawn. With substantial influence from Bourgogne, the AOC outlawed pure Chardonnay across the entire Loire Valley, demoting the white grape variety to table wine status. This means that still to this day, Loire Chardonnay can only be bottled with IGP/Val De Loire or Vin De France labels.

In terms of quality, the small amounts of pure Chardonnay currently produced in Touraine vary greatly, the worst of which may be considered a messy shell of what great Chardonnay represents.

The best however, offer a floral counterpoint to some quite famous dry Chenin Blanc grown nearby and showcases why this region is perfectly capable of making charming, faultless Chardonnay. The climate and soils will never produce Chardonnay with the same weight as those found in Bourgogne. However, the finest of Loire’s Chardonnay should not be overlooked based entirely on its density in the glass.

 

Having gained AOC status in 1993, Cheverny is currently home to 40 winemakers. The region produces on average around 1.5 million bottles of white Cheverny wine per year.

Valençay is smaller in comparison and boasts less of a focus on white wine. Its 24 winemakers produce just 250,000 bottles of white wine per year. Valençay’s AOC status was endorsed in 2003.

Both regions’ vineyards benefit from coverage via large forests, which help keep the vines dry and provide protection from the harshest of elements. In the worst of vintages, the regions of nearby Vouvray, Montlouis, Quincy and Reuilly are hit hardest by frost, hailstorms and mildew. This wreaks havoc on the vines and its bunches, and has been known to cause a near total loss of grapes in catastrophic years.

Thanks in no small part to the forests, during adverse weather conditions the regions of Cheverny and Valençay are able to maintain close to their regular production numbers.

Nevertheless, in suboptimal years, Sauvignon harvested here tends to be overly green. The desirable, edgy, fresh cut grass and citrus tones associated with great young Sancerre, are all too often replaced with unwelcome soggy nettles and flabby nutmeg. This poses a problem for some winemakers in the no-man’s-land of Touraine, as they have only Sauvignon to rely on. There exists a small amount of incredible Sauvignon made by Touraine winemakers in communes like Thésée, Pouillé, Oisly and from vineyards nudging the banks of The Loire and Cher rivers. The Sauvignon in these areas can often range from sublime to spectacular. However, the vast proportion of wine is produced at far lower standards and has earned Touraine a reputation for basic, second rate white wine.

The same problem of dealing with the somewhat unforgiving Sauvignon Blanc grape is not so prevalent in Cheverny or Valençay where unlike in Touraine, winemakers make good use of their rows of historically important Chardonnay. By blending in Chardonnay, the often aggressive, rural acidity of this area’s Sauvignon is tempered by the roundness, pliability and all-round good nature of Chardonnay.

In dry years, the soaring citrus and invitingly snappy acids associated with Sauvignon are still present. In hot years, the warm welcoming generous glow of Chardonnay boasts a quality that is positively alien in wine made purely from Sauvignon. In hot and dry years the resulting blend is truly a match made in heaven.

2022 was as hot and dry as can be, with just enough rain to carry the bunches of grapes into September – and so the white wines of Cheverny and Valençay have the potential to be as good, if not better, than any previous year in history. Something we greatly look forward to!

 

Generally speaking, consumers can be increasingly assured that winemakers of Cheverny and Valencay take great care when producing their wine. In Valençay, so popular is the 80/20 Sauvignon dominant blend that the most popular cuvées will never stray from that proportion, regardless of weather conditions the vines are subject to in any given year. Vignerons of Valençay have been planting Sauvignon next to Chardonnay, in the same vineyards, with the sole purpose of producing blended white wine since the commencement of the Valençay appellation.

The rows of Sauvignon Blanc grapes are picked from one week to until ten days before the later ripening Chardonnay. Indigenous yeast is the only yeast used and there is none added. Additional sulfur is kept to an absolute minimum except in very problematic years. Typically cold pressed and vinified separately at low temperatures, both regions mature their blended white wine on its lees for 6 months in stainless steel vats. This produces a finely balanced wine with beautiful clarity. Only due to exceptional conditions are the grapes of both varieties ever initially vinified together.

The blend of Sauvignon/Chardonnay is a treasured local union showcasing traditional, natural produce that’s free to flourish based upon the vigneron’s ingenuity. The real beauty lies in bringing together two contradictory characters, glossing over their flaws in favour of their strengths, and creating something far greater than the sum of their parts.

Isn’t this exactly what we hope to achieve in marriage?

Cheers! ~ Cindy

WRITER’S PROFILE

Chris Garry is Tour Coordinator for Elite Wine Tour, providing luxury bespoke, fully customisable, client led wine experiences across the Loire Valley.

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