Loire reds: Chinon, Bourgueil, St-Nicolas de Bourgueil

The ‘other’ Cabernet finds its home in a small stretch of the Loire Valley, and given the right conditions it produces distinctive, terroir-driven reds, as Jim Budd reports

ALONG WITH NEIGHBOURING Saumur-Champigny, these three appellations form the world’s largest concentration of high-quality Cabernet Franc. It is also the Loire’s most significant area for red wine, clustered at the western end of Touraine. Chinon is a clearly distinct appellation, whereas Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil are contiguous – a vineyard that stretches from St-Patrice in the east to St-Nicolas de Bourgueil in the west. On the ground it is impossible to tell where Bourgueil finishes and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil begins. St-Nicolas has a greater proportion of vineyards on sand and gravel, but does have vines on the clay-limestone slopes. Their climate, history and soils are broadly similar, and overall their similarities are greater than their differences. All three were among the Loire’s early appellations contrôlées – all recognised on 31 July 1937.

Ideal conditions

Forests to the north of each appellation provide protection from cold north winds, and although about 120 miles from the Atlantic, the climate here is tempered by the oceanic influence. It is the driest part of the Loire, yet is not sufficiently temperate for Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen properly, so early-ripening Cabernet Franc is preferred, with appellation rules restricting Cabernet Sauvignon to a maximum of 10%. In practice the vast majority of these wines are 100% Cabernet Franc.

There are three main types of soils – sand, gravel and clay-limestone – found in all three appellations. For Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil the sandy soils are close to the Loire, while in Chinon they are at the western end of the appellation around Savigny-en-Véron. From here come the lightest wines. Wines from the gravel beds laid down by the Loire and the Vienne have more structure and are of medium weight, while those from the clay-limestone slopes are the most concentrated, structured and need most time to be ready to drink and have the longest ageing potential. In 2012, I was privileged to taste a still-live Bourgueil 1893.

There has been a popular conception that these Loire reds are light, fruity and are best drunk young. Although this is true for some wines from the sandy soils, many of these wines from all three appellations have a remarkable capacity to age: 25-30 years is quite normal, especially for those from the slopes.

Well-kept wines from exceptional years – like 1947, 1949 and 1964 – are quite likely to be still enjoyable.