Loire Valley | 2013 vintage
The Loire wine growing region extends from the mouth of the river Loire to the Auvergne. Generally speaking, and especially in its main wine areas (Sancerre and Muscadet), the Loire was not spared from the difficult conditions of 2013. This was especially so in the West, with central areas less severely affected. An episode of particularly brutal hailstorms also seriously damaged vines in Vouvray - almost 2/3 of the crop was destroyed and damage to the trunks of vines had ongoing consequences for the 2014 crop.
As in other French wine regions, it was a very long, cold winter with sustained periods of rainfall - two climatic factors that were above the average for the last ten years. These conditions slowed the growth cycle down considerably, making vines susceptible to disease. Fortunately, a fine summer meant 2103 was not a completely gloomy year. Unfortunately, it rained during the main harvesting period (last week in September and first week in October.
After a drastic sorting process, the most exacting growers in Anjou and Touraine successfully produced some fresh and pleasant red wines with lower alcohol levels. These easy drinking wines are best enjoyed young, when they are still fruity. Although not exceptional, dry white wines from Montlouis, Vouvray (if they survived the hailstorms!) and Anjou are slightly better than the reds generally. Muscadet produced some very pleasant white wines with fresh and crisp fruity notes.
The best winegrowers in the Central Loire (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, etc) generally fared well. This was especially the case for Sancerre reds with the local Pinot Noir producing some very nice wines.
