WineRegionsOld WorldFranceLoire
The Central Vineyards are so-called because they are in the center ofFrance (not the center of the Loire Valley), which graphically illustrateshow far the Loire Valley is stretched out. In this district of scatteredvineyards, the classic wines-dry variations of the Sauvignon blanc-are allwhite. The vineyards of Sancerre are quite close to Chablis.
Most well-known of all the towns in this district is Orleans, famous forits liberation by Joan of Arc from the English in 1429. The other importanttown is Bourges, which is situated in the south between the wine villagesof Reuilly, Quincy and Menetou-Salon, and was once the capital of the Duchyof Berry To the west is Romorantin, which gives its name to one of the Loire'smore obscure grape varieties.
THE REGION'S SAUVIGNON BLANC WINES
The Sauvignon blanc is to the Central Vineyards what Muscadet is to thePays Nantais. It produces the classic wine of the district and, like Muscadet,this also happens to be both white and dry. But two dry white wines couldnot be more different in style and taste. In the best Muscadet sur lie thereshould be a yeasty fullness, which can sometimes he misread as the Chardonnaycharacter of a modest Macon. In Central Vineyard Sauvignons, however, whetherthey come from Sancerre or Pouilly- or even from one of the lesser-known,but certainly not lesser quality, villages around Bourges, the aroma isso striking it sometimes startles. The rasping dryness of the wine's flavorcatches the breath and can only come from one grape variety.
When grown in a cool climate like that of the Loire, the classic varietalcharacteristic of the Sauvignon blanc is the aroma and flavor of gooseberries.Sometimes this attribute is less pronounced and the bouquet may be morereminiscent of grass or fresh straw Some of these wines may evoke wet woollysocks, a damp dog, cat's pee or elder flower (which is a polite way of sayingcat's pee).
All the white wines of this district are a variation on one theme- the clean,crisp, sometimes green and aggressive varietal character of Sauvignon blanc;but there are some discernible differences. A Sancerre has a concentratedflavor, while the best Pouilly-fume has great finesse. More oftenthan not, Menetou-Salon is fresh and floral, Reuilly lighterbut not lesser, and Quincy pure and supremely supple. That said,the styles can vary more from grower to grower than from village to village.The effect of the same vintage on each village is different: even thosewho generally like Pouilly-Fume more than Sancerre can prefer the greenerquality of the latter in very hot years.
SANCERRE VARIATIONS
There are fourteen communes in the AOC area of Sancerre, each producingnot one but various styles of wine according to the location, exposure andthe soil on which the vines grow In the commune of Sancerre itself, whichincludes the hamlet of Chavignol (a name that is creeping on to manylabels), the vineyards with the greatest reputations are Clos Beaujeu, Closdu Paradis and Les Monts Damnes. Four kilometers (two-and-a-half miles)southwest, Bue consistently produces the very best Sancerres of the entireappellation from the vineyards of Clos du Chene Marchand and Le Grand Chemarin.The superbly located Clos de la Poussie in Bue should make a strikinglygood wine, but regularly fails to achieve its potential. Clos de la Poussiehas just one owner, a firm named Cordier, which is renowned for the highquality and good value of its Bordeaux wines, yet manages, year after year,to turn out a Sancerre totally lacking the vitality expected from the Sauvignonblanc grape.
A BURGUNDIAN INFLUENCE
Historically this region was part of the Duchy of Burgundy which explainsthe presence of Pinot noir vines. After the scourge of phylloxera, the areaunder vine shrunk and that which was brought back into production was mostlyreplanted with Sauvignon blanc, which began to dominate the vineyards, butisolated spots of Pinot noir were maintained. Some of the wines they producetoday can be very good, although they are extremely delicate in style; howeverfine the quality, they are but a shadow of the Burgundian Pinot.
