Coteaux du Loir

The Coteaux du Loir appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) is a Loire Valley appellation whose production area covers 16 municipalities in the department of Sarthe and six in Indre-et-Loire. Cistercian monks began producing Coteaux du Loir wines in the Middle Ages. Recognized as an AOC in 1948, Coteaux du Loir is, along with Jasnières, the northernmost wine region in the Loire Valley.

The Coteaux du Loir vineyard covers an area of around 80 hectares and produces 2,700 hectoliters annually (50% red, 30% white, 20% rosé). The vineyard is planted on soft Turonian chalk, also known as tuffeau, which has broken down into flinty clay, creating steep, very stony soils that are difficult to work but provide ideal conditions for the vines to flourish. Protected by the Bercé forest to the north and benefiting from adjacent valleys and south-facing slopes, theCoteaux du Loir vineyardsenjoy the temperate climate of the Touraine region, which is divided into numerous microclimates.

The Coteaux du Loir appellation produces red and rosé wines from the Pineau d'Aunis, Cabernet, Côt, and Gamay grape varieties, and white wines from Chenin blanc. The reds and rosés are often light and aromatic. They reach their peak within two years. The Coteaux du Loir whites generally have a crystal-clear golden yellow color, floral and fruity aromas punctuated by a mineral note. They can generally be kept for over 15 years. Lovers of this appellation will be particularly interested in the wines offered by Domaine de Bellivière.