Loire Valley Vintage 2015
Two great vintages in a row and throughout the Loire Valley is an unexpected bonus and another year that’s good for reds is great news. The whites have the freshness of 2014 but are a little more sweeter-fruited and friendlier, with a little less acidity than the more classic 2014s. In Vouvray there hasn’t been a vintage since 1997 to have the level and quality of nobly-rotted grapes for making moelleux-style wines.
Muscadet, which is at last seeing the first signs of revival after many years in the doldrums with investment from both new, young and seasoned, well-established growers, fared well. 2015 is a little lower in acidity than 2014, though without the atypical richness of 2009 and 2010, and many will prefer it.
The lower acidity throughout the valley in 2015 has produced earlier-drinking, friendlier wines across all grape varieties, but early tastings suggested no loss of the Loire’s appetising food-friendliness.