Loire wines
year after year...
Loire wines
year after year...
Discover the vintages of Loire wines. Learn to recognize and taste great Loire wines according to their year of production.
What is a vintage?
What is a vintage?
The vintage is simply the year of harvest, during which the grapes used to make the wine are harvested. It corresponds to the year written on the bottle label: you can't go wrong!
Age is just a number... except for wine
The vintage, the year in which the grapes are harvested, plays a key role in the quality of a wine. For the connoisseur, it is an essential assessment criterion, enabling him or her to judge the success of a year on the basis of climatic conditions and the characteristics of the harvest.
The vintage is also a benchmark for tracking the aging of wine and defining its peak, i.e. the most appropriate time to enjoy it.
How to recognize a great vintage
To recognize a great vintage, you must first and foremost rely on the weather, particularly at harvest time . From one year to the next, it can vary and influence the quality of production from the same estate.
Did you know?
Contrary to popular belief, it's not all about sunshine. While some wines need heat to exhale their flavors, others require more temperate weather conditions to preserve their characteristics... Each grape variety has its own climate!
The reactivity and know-how of the winemaker play a crucial role in the quality of wines, whether red, white, rosé or sparkling. Depending on the year's climatic conditions, the winemaker may decide to advance or delay the harvest. Thus, the choice of harvest date is one of the keys to making the most of the quality of the vintage.
A great vintage is therefore not the fruit of chance, but the conjunction of several factors: a remarkable terroir, very favorable climatic conditions suited to the grape variety, high quality grapes harvested at maturity, the winemaker's know-how and tasting at the right time.
Vintages of Loire wines
Depending on the climatic conditions of each year, the quality of the grapes and therefore of the wine can vary considerably. Some vintages, such as 2015 or 2018, are considered exceptional thanks to a favorable climate, offering balanced wines rich in aroma and ageing potential.
Other years, although subject to more complex climatic conditions, benefit from the resilience and ingenuity of winemakers who, through their know-how, manage to optimize the qualities of the grapes and sublimate the vintage.
Tasting a vintage Loire wine is an art
Each vintage Loire wine tells a unique story, inviting you to discover the very essence of nature and terroir, to feel the influences of a climate, a season and a region. The aromas, flavors and structure of the wine evolve over time, offering a new experience with every tasting.
When is the best time to open your Loire vintage?
The Loire's long-keeping wines have a remarkable ageing potential. They evolve, developing complex aromas over time.
In contrast, the region's young wines, often appreciated for their freshness and liveliness, are best enjoyed in the first few years after production. The Loire, with its many grape varieties and diverse terroirs, offers a palette of wines unique in the world!
Designations
To find out more, discover all the appellations of the Loire vineyards!
Thirst for adventure
and culture
Discover all the tourist wineries in the Loire Valley!
