Robin, I take you mildly to task for describing Loire red wine as "outsiders". Reds are very mainstream in the core Loire regions of Anjou and Touraine. Certain appellations are exclusively red AFAIK and excellent, e.g. Saumur-Champigny, Bourgueil, St.Nicolas-Bourgueil, whilst at Chinon the whites, sometimes delicious, are the outsider. Anjou, Anjou Villages, Anjou Gamay, Touraine can be red or white. Cabernet franc is the dominant grape variety but CabSauv is allowed in some of the appellations and Gamay on its own can produce very good results in both Anjou and Touraine. In the latter there are also blends involving CabFranc, Gamay, Pinot Noir and Côt (AKA Malbec) and there are some producers making monovarietals out of the last two as well as from Gamay, reportedly with excellent results in the case of Côt but I don't think I have ever had one.
I do agree that, close to the mouth of the Loire, reds are outsiders and upstream round Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire they are in the minority but by no means oddities. Excellent reds from Pinot Noir are now coming out of Sancerre and also from the less well known neighbouring appellation Menetou-Salon. They are far more serious wines than the light, easy drinking Sancerre reds which used to be fashionable for drinking cool in Paris brasseries. Sancerre rosé from Pinot Noir can rise to rare heights of elegance and finesse for that colour.
Though mainstream in its appellation, I can't resist posting on last night's delicious Chinon -
2001 Philippe Alliet Chinon Coteau de Noiré - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (12/2/2018)Quite light in colour and body, it was delicious in a gentle style showing fine fragrant raspberry tinged fruit, a sweetness similar in kind to an unsugared Darjeeling or China tea, fine minerals, a touch of forest floor, fresh moreish acidity and a light gamey touch towards the nicely long and fragrant finish. The hint of game may disconcert the squeaky clean adept but I love it. Very good.
Posted from CellarTrackerTo post on the real outsider, here is my TN on the last white Chinon (Chenin) I opened. Bernard Baudry's two white cuvées are much better.
2014 Les Mains Rouges -Fabrice Gendrot Chinon - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (12/27/2017)Medium bodied, dry and well focused showing bright white fruit, minerals and underlying roundness but slightly marred for me by a boiled sweet touch. However it was very popular round the table. Good wine but hardly worth its c.19€ price tab.
Posted from CellarTracker