You never know which vintage to choose for a Loire wine at the supermarket or wine shop? This article will help you!

The Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is one of France’s largest vineyards and one of the country’s most attractive wine-growing regions. It is divided into 6 sub-regions: Muscadet, Anjou, Saumurois, Touraine, Orléanais and Centre, ensuring a wide diversity of wine profiles. The Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site, offers a wealth of picturesque wine tourism itineraries.

The Loire’s diverse terroirs

The Loire River provides its vineyards with numerous microclimates that are particularly suitable for growing vines, contributing to the production of a wide variety of wines.

In the Nantes vineyards, the oceanic climate means mild autumns and winters, while summers are hot and often humid. The soils are mainly composed of gneiss, micaschist, greenstone and granite.

The climate of the Anjou vineyards is also oceanic, with mild winters and hot, sunny summers. Visit The soil is composed mainly of shale, carboniferous and volcanic rock.

In the Saumur vineyards, the climate is semi-oceanic: seasonal variations are therefore more marked, and the hilly landscape helps to slow down the westerly winds.

Oceanic and continental influences are intertwined in the Touraine vineyards.

In the vineyards of Saumur and Touraine, the soil is typically composed of “tuffeau” chalk, sand and clay.

Lastly, the plateaus on the banks of the Loire and Vienne rivers are made up of sand and gravel in a continental climate.

Evaluating a good vintage in the Loire Valley therefore depends on a number of parameters in addition to the weather and the hard work of the winemakers.

The best Loire vintages

Recently, 2018 has distinguished itself as an exceptional vintage for Loire wines. Lhe 2018 harvest was indeed remarkable in terms of both yield and quality, and promises highly aromatic, gourmet wines in all colors.

Spring was particularly favorable, and in the absence of hail and frost, the vines were able to develop without complications. The historically warm summer then gently accompanied the grapes as they blossomed. Finally, optimal harvesting conditions from the end of August through to October enabled the winemakers to harvest with complete peace of mind, with perfectly ripe grapes.

2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010 are some very good vintages for red wines, including excellent Chinon and Bourgueil.

2016, 2015, 2014 are excellent vintages for dry whites, and 2019, 2016, 2015, 2011, 2010 are excellent vintages for sweet whites.

2009 is also an exceptional vintage for red and white Loire wines! Dry whites and reds are at their peak, and should be enjoyed now.

The 2020 vintage looks promising, despite some extreme rain and heat, and its record earliness…

Discover our complete vintage guide.

Photo: Cave du château de Valencay / Adobe Stock