A Crémant de Loire, a Vouvray, and a Rosé D’anjou – I’m all set for the summer #Winophiles

Loire Valley Wines - Crémant de Loire, Vouvray, Rosé D’anjou for the Summer

The #Winophiles bloggers are invited by Jill Barth from L'Occasion to explore wines from the Loire Valley of France this summer. I had the opportunity to sip a few beautiful Loire Valley wines last winter in a wine tasting event in New York. What resonates with me the most from the tasting is the diversity of wines that come from this wine region, the largest in France. You could effortlessly find wines from Loire Valley that will suit for each season of the year, every occasion and budget. Let’s “travel” to this wine region...through the lenses of the Langlois-Chateau Crémant de Loire Blanc Brut, Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Cuvee Silex Sec, and Chateauvieux Rosé D’Anjou.

Loire Valley is home of 51 AOP regions and 4 PGI Regions (Credit: www.loirevalleywines.com)

For geo, terroir and wine geek details of Loire Valley, you could check out my previous Bourgueil (a Loire Valley AOP) blog posted in January this year. I’m zeroing right into the wines and see how each of these wines helps you “taste” Loire Valley.

 

A Crémant that has bready and dried lemon rind notes. Taste almost like a Champagne, without the hefty price tag! 

Langlois-Chateau Crémant de Loire Blanc Brut (SRP$24.99)

Langlois-Chateau consists of 95 hectares of vines in multiple Loire Valley AOPs, including 51 hectares in Saumur, 11 Ha in Saumur Champigny and 33 Ha in Sancerre. Langlois-Chateau has been making sparkling wines since 1855. The French sparkling wines made outside the Champagne wine regions are called Crémants. Check out a recent post which I explored Crémants for more information. Particularly amazing about this Crémant de Loire is its freshness, complexity and balance. This Crémant is a blend of 40% Chenin Blanc, 10% reserve wines, and Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc making up the rest. At the initial sips, the vibrant green apple freshness and fine bubbles came to the forefront. Following with a few more sips, the yeasty and a tad dried lemon rind leveled up. The finish was long with a bit honeyed richness. This Crémant has that kind of “Old World” mouthfeel which savvy sparkling wine drinkers are looking for.

 

Lemony acidity, nuanced with notes of a tad honey, apricot and baking spice,
a long finish with minerality

Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Cuvee Silex Sec (SRP$19.99)

Vigneau-Chevreau has been a family run business since 1875. Currently, under the management of brothers Stephane and Christophe Vigneau, the Chateau, which is located in the Saumur AOP of Loire Valley, consists of 28 hectares of soils that are primarily of limestone, clay and silex. These soils are most favorable to the cultivation of Chenin Blanc. Vouvray is only made of 100% Chenin Blanc. While the lemony acidity was not surprising from this grape, this Vouvray was nuanced with notes of a tad honey, apricot and baking spice. I was very intrigued by the long finish which the minerality surfaced. I had to admit that this wine was the reason why I ate so much cheese at the tasting event as it just interacted so well with the nuttiness and the brininess of the cheese. Of course, gluttony is my main sin.

 

Photo Credit: Cellar Tracker

Chateauvieux Rosé D’Anjou (SRP$10.99)

Chateauvieux locates in the Anjou and Saumur AOPs of Loire Valley. The Rosé D’Anjou is a poster child of the region as the large economy of scale allows producers to use machines and automations in the process, driving the cost of the wines down while maintaining high quality of the wines. With strawberry on the nose and lively acidity, the Rosé D’Anjou was a screaming for summer in a glass.  

 

Chinese Foods to Pair with the Wine

While cheese is a great pairing option for these three wines. I would also recommend some Chinese foods that I think will kick up a notch of the tasting experience. Fried spring rolls and fried shrimp toast are the perfect accompaniments to the Crémant de Loire. With the Vouvray, I would have a Dim Sum feast with it as its minerality and warm spice notes gives this wine an edge to deal with the seasoned meaty Dim Sum dishes such as steamed beef balls with cilantro, steamed pork riblets in black bean sauce and braised chicken feet in oyster sauce. To pair with the Rosé D’Anjou, I would do a platter of Chinese desserts such as red bean buns and fried sesame balls.

 

See what other amazing Loire Valley wines other #Winophiles bloggers are sipping:

Muscadet is Not Muscat, Garbure Bigourdane, and (Our Version of) Faire Chabròl | Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Thierry Michon and Domaine Saint Nicolas - Biodynamic Loire Wines #Winophiles |Savor the Harvest

Savennières and Vouvray: Two Tastes of Loire Valley Chenin Blanc | The Swirling Dervish

Sweet Wines from the Loire | Avvinare

Made it to Dessert with a Vouvray | Keep the Peas

A Vineyard Visit: Organic Clos du Tue-Boeuf with Thierry Puzelat and his Sauvignon Blanc paired with a savory summer tart | Wine Predator

Turkey and Cabbage Skillet Recipe with Pouilly-Fumé | Cooking Chat

Enjoying Summer Food with Chinon Wine and a Fun Book | A Day in the Life on the Farm

Cooking to the Wine: "Brendan Stater-West Saumur Les Chapaudaises and Chicken Thighs with Apples and Onions | Somm's Table

Summer Sipping: B&G Chenin Blanc and Crispy Baked Pork Chops | Our Good Life

Montlouis-sur-Loire – 2 Rivers, 3 Zeros and some delicious sparkling wine #Winophiles | Crushed Grape Chronicles

Exploring the Loire Valley From My Balcony with #Winophiles! | The Quirky Cork

Funky Loire Pet Nat was born for goat cheese pizza | My Full Wine Glass

A Crémant de Loire, a Vouvray, and a Rosé D’anjou - I’m all set for the summer #Winophiles | Chinese Food and Wine Pairings

Touraine Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley – Where Wine and History Reign | Grape Experiences

Wine Thirsty? That's No Problem in France's Loire Valley | L'Occasion