Discovering more Touraine wines - Vouvray and Montlouis
Touraine Loire Valley vineyards, Vouvray - Source: Winekeller
We continue our journey through the heart of the Loire Valley wine region, Touraine, discovering its famous white wines, ancient towns and Renaissance châteaux
After discovering the superb Loire Valley red wines of western Touraine, we travel eastwards to the famous Loire Valley white wine appellations of Vouvray and Montlouis, the home of Loire Chenin blanc. We take time of course to also visit one of the most famous châteaux of the Loire Valley, ‘Château de Chenonceau’ as well as to visit the historic city of Tours and sample some of Touraine’s amazing gastronomy at one of its prized Michelin star restaurants!
About Touraine Loire Valley
The Loire Valley’s Touraine region provides visitors with an exceptional historic, architectural and natural heritage, stretching from Amboise in the east to the beautiful village of Candes-Saint-Martin in the west. It’s a beautiful, peaceful section of the Loire river, with broad stretches, interspersed with small islands and shifting sandbanks and as well as the Loire, there are its two tributaries which flow through Touraine, the Vienne and the Indre rivers.
The main centre of the Touraine wine region is the city of Tours, which sits precisely halfway between Sancerre and Nantes. Touraine is the location of many significant and magnificent historic French landmarks and as well as exploring Tours, visitors can explore Amboise, Chenonceau, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau and Langeais, or the mediaeval towns of Chinon and Loches. You can also visit the original ‘Troglodyte’ caves and villages, nestled in the chalk cliff sides, once dwellings, now accommodation and wine cellars!
For more information about the Touraine, Loire Valley, see here.
Touraine wines
The Touraine wine region is a large and often confusing French wine region. It represents some 16,000 hectares of vineyards and 1600 winegrowers, producing approximately 132 million bottles each year.
The vineyards sit at the crossroads of an Atlantic influenced climate and a continental climate and the Loire and its tributaries have both shaped the landscape and given the region its rich soils. The soil is composed of ‘tuffeau’ chalk and flint sands and clays from the Paris Basin and the river bank terraces are made up of sand and gravel rolled by rivers and deposited over time. (The ‘tuffeau’ chalk is the same chalk which characterises the Loire chateaux and there are many ‘troglos’ dug into the cliff sides which serve as excellent cellars to hold the precious wines today).
Touraine produces all colours of wines - whites account for some 60%, reds for over 20%, then the rest is made up of sparkling wine and rosé. The main grape varieties for Touraine white wines are Sauvignon blanc and Chenin blanc and for Touraine red wines, Cabernet Franc, Côt (Malbec) and Gamay.
The Cabernet franc grape variety reigns supreme west of Tours and the most popular white wine is Loire Chenin blanc. Touraine wines tend to be quite fresh, well-structured, fragrant and fruity.
Learn more about Touraine wines and the Touraine winegrowers.
Touraine vineyard map - source: Vins du Val de Loire
Loire Chenin blanc
Loire Chenin Blanc continues to flourish and gather fans around the world, much driven by the excellent wines produced in AOC Vouvray and in AOC Montlouis - and the work of notable producers such as Domaine Huet and Domaine de la Taille aux Loups. Other key Loire Chenin blanc appellations include AOC Saumur and AOC Anjou to the west of the Touraine Loire Valley wine region.
Chenin blanc’s homeland in the Loire Valley however is divided between AOC Vouvray and AOC Montlouis, two of Touraine’s most famous Loire Valley white wine appellations. They are situated close to each other, on either side of the River Loire, Vouvray north of the river and Montlouis south of the river, nestled between the two Loire cities of Tours to the west and Amboise to the east.
They share a similar terroir, with the famous Loire Chenin blanc vines grown on the low hills of soft ‘tuffeau’ that stretch along the river, but the Vouvray soils tend to contain more clay and the Montlouis soils, more sand.
Generally speaking, Vouvray wines are more powerful - Montlouis wines tend to be more reserved, finer and stricter in youth but both have a similar ageing potential.
AOC Vouvray
Vouvray wines can be dry, off-dry, medium-dry or sweet - and still or sparkling. The vintages and character of Vouvray wines vary enormously year to year, depending on the unpredictable weather, but a key feature is that they are more ‘glossy’ than other Loire Valley wines.
Vouvray still wines are labelled by site and the best sites tend to lie on top of the cliffs overlooking the Loire, where a thin layer of clay and sometimes gravel overlays the typical limestone soils.
There are about 160 wine producers in AOC Vouvray.
For information about Vouvray wines and wineries, as well as food-matching ideas and inspiration see here.
Visit to Domaine Vincent Carême
Domaine Vincent Carême is a smaller, artisan winery, located in a small village outside Vouvray, Vernou-sur-Brenne.
Vincent Carême is the son of arable farmers, whose grandfather taught him to make wine. Without family vines to inherit, he worked harvests in Sancerre, Champagne, Alsace, Thailand and South Africa and then in 1997, working in South Africa, he met his future wife Tania. They returned to the Loire Valley two years later and established their own domaine.
Today they farm 22 hectares of 100% Chenin blanc vineyards spread around the three villages of Vernou, Vouvray and Noizay. All of the Vouvray vineyards and wines are certified organic and all of the grapes are hand-picked. The couple also own Chenin blanc vineyards in South Africa.
Domaine Vincent Carême wines
Vincent Carême is a Chenin blanc expert and his wines feature a stunning range of both sparkling and still Vouvray wines, including apple-scented sparkling, both dry and delicately off-dry made by the méthode ancestrale; bone-dry racy still wines; tingling demi-sec wines; and powerful dessert wines.
Domaine Vincent Carême Vouvray sparkling wines
The range of sparkling wines includes a Brut Vouvray, a very traditional Vouvray wine, with lovely citrus and apple notes, as well as a Brut Natur ‘Plaisir Ancestral’ wine, a natural wine which contains no sugar. This wine is aged for 24 months and contains natural yeast - we loved it!
Domaine Vincent Carême Vouvray still wines
There are three dry, still wines, including ‘Sec’, an excellent ripe, round wine, with lots of fresh acidity, ‘Le Clos de la Roche Vouvray’, a powerful wine, perfect for ageing and ‘Le Peu Morier’ (our favourite!), made from older vines, with clean, flinty, fresh, fruit flavours.
The off-dry Chenin blanc is called ‘Tendre’, sweet apple and pear flavours, with a balancing freshness and then there is the ‘Moelleux’, a deliciously balanced, sweet wine.
Visit Domaine Vincent Carême in Vernou
You can visit Domaine Vincent Carême and taste a selection of wines (both their Vouvray wines and South African wines) in the lovely tasting cellar, where the barrels are aged, carved into the old ‘tuffeau’ cliffs, near the village of Vernou.
Tastings cost 12 euros pp but it is advisable to book if you wish to have a private tasting.
AOC Montlouis
Vineyards in the region now defined as AOC Montlouis were producing Loire Chenin blanc wines under the name of ‘Vouvray’ for years, until it attained its own appellation in the 1930s. The 100% Chenin blanc vineyards lie on a promontory of land between the River Loire to the north and the River Cher to the south. The soils are similar to those of AOC Vouvray, but tend to be increasingly sandy, the closer to the Cher Valley.
Similar to AOC Vouvray, a variety of wine styles are produced and an increasing proportion of sparkling wines.
AOC Montlouis doesn’t have the perfect sheltered, south-facing sites of Vouvray’s top sites, however since the 1990s Montlouis has been the more dynamic appellation of the two, thanks to innovative winegrowers like Jacky Blot (see below).
There are approximately 50 wine producers today in AOC Montlouis.
The vineyards of Montlouis-sur-Loire
Visit to Domaine de la Taille aux Loups
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups in Montlouis-sur-Loire is a well- known and very successful producer of Loire Chenin blanc. Loire trailblazer Jacky Blot purchased the 8-hectare Domaine de la Taille aux Loups in 1989, in an attempt to drag the Montlouis appellation out of the shadows of its neighbour, Vouvray. Jacky soon became known for his ‘natural’ approach to viticulture and winemaking, with practices such as ploughing rather than using herbicides, not fertilising the vines, spontaneous fermentations, barrel fermentation and barrel ageing. He quickly expanded his 100% Chenin blanc vineyards between the Loire and Cher rivers to 45 hectares in Montlouis, including ‘Clos de Mosny’ - a 12 hectare walled vineyard, which he purchased in 2010 and is today the largest monopole in the Loire, planted with old Chenin vines.
Jacky also purchased a further 5 hectares of vineyards in nearby Vouvray and 15 hectares in Bourgueil. Today all of the vineyards and wines are certified organic and all of the grapes are hand-picked and hand-selected..
Jacky is a real icon in the Loire wine region and one of the world’s greatest exponents of the Chenin blanc grape variety, but he sadly passed away in May 2023, leaving the domains in the talented hands of his son Jean-Philippe.
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups wines
In Taille aux Loups Jacky created a Domaine that demonstrates the potential Chenin blanc has for producing some of the world’s greatest, and longest lived white wines. The philosophy is to avoid malo-lactic fermentation in all the cuvées, giving the wines a lovely racy, precise clear cut feel and equipping them well for long ageing in the bottle.
Each of the wines reflect the unique and specific characteristics of the individual vineyard site.
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups wines are widely available in outside of France, however stock can be limited.
Montlouis-sur-Loire sparkling wines
There is a range of superb sparkling wines, a Brut Tradition, an Extra Brut and then a ‘natural’ wine called ‘Triple Zéro’, made from 100% Loire Chenin blanc grapes. This wine is totally dry, with no added additives or sugar and like a ‘Pét Nat’ it is made by the ‘ancestral method’, however as the lees are extracted from the bottle, the wine is crystal clear. We tasted this wine during our visit and it was really delicious - lots of orchard-fruit and biscuit aromas and beautifully clean, fresh and creamy, with fine bubbles.
Remus - This is the ‘entry' level cuvée, a blend of multiple parcels from around the village, comprising vines aged between 20-100 years old.
Clos de Mosny - Of the 12 hectares under vine within the Clos de Mosny, only half make the grade for this cuvée. The soils are made up of sandy clay and flint, with clay and limestone underneath and the vines are south-facing on a gentle incline. This is a cuvée that combines ripeness with tension and marvellous fruit.
Les Hauts de Husseau - This is a single vineyard plot located at the highest point of the appellation, planted with 70-90 year old vines and featuring very thin flinty soils covering a bed of limestone. The wines are very concentrated, racy, precise and taut but also highly refined.
Clos de la Bretonniere (Vouvray) - This is a ‘Vouvray Vin de France’ wine, made from grapes planted in a single four hectare vineyard on Vouvray’s renowned, south-facing 'Premiere Cote', where the finest wines come from.
Clos de Venise (Vouvray) - Another ‘Vouvray Vin de France’ vineyard/wine from the ‘Première Côte’ of Vouvray.
Book a wine tasting at Domaine de la Taille aux Loups in Montlouis-sur-Loire
Phone or email ahead to book a wine tasting - 25 euros pp, redeemable with the purchase of a minimum of 6 bottles. We really enjoyed our wine tasting and thought all of the wines were superb.
See here about visiting the family’s Bourgueil vineyards Domaine de la Butte, known for their excellent red, Cabernet franc wines
Visit the historic city of Tours
Place Plumereau, the old historic centre of Tours - source: Winekeller
Whilst you’re exploring the vineyards and wines of Vouvray and Montlouis in the Touraine Loire Valley wine region, we can definitely recommend spending some time in the beautiful, historic city of Tours, the capital of Touraine, known as the ‘gateway city to the Loire Valley’.
There are essentially three parts to the city, the old town, based around the lively central square, Place Plumereau, the east side, where the beautiful Tours cathedral is located and in the middle of the two, the more modern, commercial town and shopping centre. You can walk between the three sections - but it is quite spread out, be warned!
The historic old town is great to roam around, enjoying the small shops, cafés and bars and beautiful mediaeval half-timbered houses. Start in Place Plumereau as this is the heart of the old town - it’s normally very busy so we would suggest, if you are looking for something to eat, focus on one of the streets radiating off the square. Rue Colbert is a focal point for great cafés and restaurants too. Nearby you can find some interesting, mediaeval monuments including Saint Martin's Basilica, Charlemagne's Tower and the Clock Tower.
Over on the east side of Tours, the flamboyant-gothic style Saint-Gatien Cathedral dates from the 12th-16th centuries. Its stained glass windows and three rose windows are particularly beautiful and in the evening the outside of the cathedral is transformed by a light show covering the facade of the building.
After visiting the cathedral you can visit the Cloisters of la Psalette next door - the cloisters are very attractive and are now listed as one of France's National Monuments. Close by is he Archbishop's Palace, which houses the Musée des Beaux Arts (Fine Arts Museum). Another Tours museum to visit is the Archaeology Museum.
On sunny days you will notice many people heading for the banks of the Loire, where there’s always something going on and where you can enjoy refreshments and watch the world go by!
Relaxing on the banks of the River Loire in Tours
A Michelin star dining experience
In addition to the culture and history - and wines of course - Touraine is celebrated for its gastronomy and boasts an incredible 9 Michelin stars!
Normally preferring local, traditional eateries, whilst we were in Touraine recently, we decided, on the recommendation of friends who know their gourmet food and establishments well, to try out one of the Michelin star restaurants in Tours! Wow what an experience!
We booked in at L’Évidence, in Montbazon just outside Tours, one of Touraine’s top restaurants and selected the ‘Inspiration menu’, a multi-course menu showcasing the technical skill, flair and creativity of chef Gaëtan Evrard.
We were blown away by the quality and presentation of every dish - and the wines were excellent too! We can highly recommend L’Évidence - it certainly was an incredible gastronomic experience and good value for money.
Visit Château de Chenonceau
When in Touraine, you absolutely have to fit in a visit to one or two of its famous castles - and some of the best Loire Valley châteaux are within easy reach of the Vouvray and Montlouis vineyards!
A personal recommendation has to be Château de Chenonceau, fondly known as the ‘Ladies’ Château’ and one of the most famous and most majestic of all of the châteaux of the Loire Valley.
You can easily spend half a day here strolling around the incredible gardens and walking through the richly decorated rooms, but it’s the architectural design of this beautifully elegant 16th century Renaissance château that takes your breath away.
Château de Chenonceau was loved by two of its famous historical residents, Diane de Poitiers and Queen Catherine de Medici and it’s one of the top most visited sites in France today - it’s not hard to see why! The château gracefully straddles the River Cher and its exquisite design and proportions are what makes this château so attractive. It also tells the story of a fascinating period in French history!
Take time out to visit Château de Chenonceau - you won’t regret it!
Visit the gardens and château of Villandry
Just West of Tours you can also visit the stunning Château de Villandry - the last of the great Loire châteaux built during the Renaissance period. The château itself was quite formal in design compared to nearby Azay-le-Rideau and Chenonceau and all that remains of the original structure, is the castle keep. You can visit the château today and walk through the beautiful rooms, recently restored in the 18th century style and featuring an impressive collection of 17th and 18th century Spanish paintings.
However Villandry is most of all famous in France and all over the world for its wonderful gardens, which include a Renaissance kitchen garden, the Ornamental ‘love’ garden, the Water garden, the Herb garden, a maze and a flamboyant ‘Sun garden’.
The château and gardens at Villandry - source: Winekeller
Useful information for visiting Touraine Loire Valley
For the practical information you need when visiting this part of the Loire Valley see here. This website also has lots of information about accommodation options.
When to visit Touraine:
For wine lovers, there are two major wine tourism events in Touraine not to be missed: ‘Vitiloire’ (the great wine festival of the Loire Valley, in Tours at the beginning of June) and Vignes Vins Randos (15 walks throughout the Loire Valley vineyards, at the beginning of September).
Conclusion and personal highlights
We were really impressed by the wines of Vouvray and Montlouis and loved exploring Tours. A personal highlight though was the beautiful Château de Chenonceau!
