With very satisfactory overall quality and characteristic freshness, the 2021 vintage of Loire wines fits in perfectly with the region's tradition. Despite the climatic challenges, the winemakers have been able to adapt their practices, offering precise, expressive wines with great potential for pleasure.
Loire white wines: a year of freshness and aromatic expression
Demanding and promising, the 2021 vintage offered Loire whites an expression typical of the region, marked by freshness and delicate aromas. The climatic conditions accentuated the tension and precision of the wines, giving rise to highly chiselled cuvées.
The Chenins blancs, particularly in Anjou and Touraine, are distinguished by a beautiful uprightness and remarkable vivacity. Their aging on lees adds volume and complexity, perfectly balancing their acidity. The Melon B2021, despite significant yield losses in Muscadet, presents a sharp minerality and great aromatic purity. This vintage is reminiscent of the appellation's great classic years.
Loire red wines: supple and fruity, with elegant tannins
The reds of 2021 stand out for their suppleness and freshness, typical characteristics of great Loire vintages. Climatic conditions led to slower ripening, extracting silky tannins and preserving bright aromatic profiles.
The Cabernet Franc, in Chinon, Saumur and Bourgueil, displays a beautiful intensity of fresh red fruits (raspberry, redcurrant), accompanied by a fine, precise tannic structure. This vintage is reminiscent of the great classic years of the Loire, a far cry from the sunnier profiles of previous vintages.
The Gamays de Touraine are particularly expressive, with dynamic acidity and crisp fruit making them highly digestible. The rouges d'Anjou, rarer due to frost losses, are distinguished by a fine balance between structure and freshness.
Rosé wines: freshness and fruitiness on the agenda
The millésime 2021 was particularly favorable for the development of rosés, thanks to thermal amplitudes that enabled beautiful colors and lively acidity. This year's Loire rosés display a dazzling aromatic palette, with notes of small red fruits (wild strawberry, redcurrant), a lovely lightness and a clean, thirst-quenching finish.
The Gamays de Touraine offer a lively, light profile, ideal for summer. The Grolleaux and Cabernets d'Anjou display more expressive fruit and a slight sweetness, making them rosés of immediate pleasure.
Short maceration has resulted in elegant rosés, without heaviness, while retaining a lovely liveliness.
Fines Bulles de Loire: a remarkable balance between acidity and structure
The Fines Bulles de Loire in 2021 are marked by beautiful acidity and a very Loire freshness. This vintage is reminiscent of the great classic years for effervescents, with chiseled wines of great finesse.
The Chenins are distinguished by fine effervescence and a pure aromatic profile, with notes of green apple, white flowers and fresh almond. The Crémant de Loire, from later harvests, benefit from an acidity that gives them excellent aging potential. The Saumur Brut are particularly taut and chiselled, perfect for accompanying seafood or light starters.
