Loire: a new opportunity?

By Barnaby Eales

Published: 29 July, 2016

While the Loire was among the highest climbers of France's wine regions in terms of UK exports in 2015, frost this year has forced several independent Loire producers to redistribute and raise their prices of existing allocations.

Loire specialist, Matt Wilkin, director of UK importer and distributer H2Vin Limited, says many of the well-established independent producers, those who make high quality wines but generally in low volumes, have insufficient stocks to meet the overall rise in demand for Loire wines.

So, importers are now turning elsewhere.

"There is a new opportunity for places like Cheverny," says Wilkin.

Large corporations such as Les Grands Chais de France have also been looking at the lesser-known wine regions such as Haut Poitou, further south of the Loire, from where it now imports Sauvignon Blanc wines.

In terms of export volumes, Britain is the Loire's top market representing 21% of the French wine region's exports.

Pierre-Jean Sauvion, a Loire wine export expert at the Inter-Loire promotional body, says Loire wine producers are geographically well positioned for the neighbouring UK market and this means there is a highly structured distribution network to support the growth of exports to Britain.

Last year, according to French customs, wine exports from the Loire worth €39.4 million increased by 15.54% in volumes to 91.004 hl and by 9.49% in terms of value, with the centre of the Loire, Pouilly Fume, Muscadet and fizz from Vouvray registering the greatest increases.

Despite some recent patchy vintages - other than those of 2014 and 2015 - and reports of oxidisation in some wines, Sauvion says overall growth of exports from the Loire of recent years has come partly because of an overall rise in the quantity of wines available.

Climate change too has bought benefits in terms of maturity of fruit.

In the mid-90s Loire reds were over extracted with excessive alcohol levels, but Sauvion, says they are now are lighter, fresher and more elegant and made with better fruit.

"The reds of the Loire have improved immensely; you may not find a red block buster, but they are a lot less greener, with better, more powerful fruit," says Wilkin. He argues that Loire wines are among the easiest wines to match food with.

"I spent much time trying to find the perfect match for Camembert and I found it with Cabernet Franc reds from the Loire," he said.

But of course, it is prices that are driving the interest in the Loire wines. With an overall increase in quality, but comparably much lower prices than Bordeaux or Burgundy and Champagne, the Loire is increasingly attracting buyers.

"Loire wines offer good prices points: for restaurants in London that have to make 70% profit on wine to cover their overheads, a good Loire wine on the list can sell at £35," Wilkin says.

Since its launch six year ago, H2Vin has doubled wine imports from the Loire and the company is now selling more quantities of premium Loire wines, particularly from the centre of the region. H2Vin imports wines from independent producers and its ranges includes organic and biodynamic wines.

"Sauvignon Blanc producers in the Loire may once have changed style when faced with competition with New Zealand, but now they have now pulled back, with better fruit, a greater traction and precision," says Wilkin.

Despite the frost earlier this year, "The Loire still has the wind in the sails," Sauvion says.

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