Tours is an ancient lovely town with wonderful cafes, and for those of you who are not time or money constrained, this is a good spot (Château Belmont) to see the chateaux nearby, (Amboise, Chenonceau, Chambord, Azay-le-Rideau) and to visit other wineries like Clos Naudin. Clos Naudin probably makes the second best Vouvrays, but we were unable to visit it. If you have the time do go and meet Phillipe Foreau, Clos Naudin, 37210 Vouvray. (tel : +33 2 47 52 71 46, fax +33 2 47 52 73 81).

Nine kings of France spent their holidays in the Loire Valley. Seeing their fabulous châteaux is to understand the French Revolution. They are built on an astonishingly rich scale. Chenonceau is a royal castle built over the river Cher. Only 26 kilometers from Tours, it is exquisite. Chambord is the largest of the Loire castles, a short distance from Tours, a Renaissance palace inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, built by the the great king Francois 1, in the 16th century. Azay-le - Rideau, 2 kms from Tours, is extraordinary. And in Amboise, where Leonardo died, is a marvelous permanent exhibition of his engineering works, at the Clos Luce. (Which is why the "Mona Lisa", the painting Leonardo took when he left Italy, is in the Louvre, not in Italy).

We left for Saumur to be in time for dinner. This medieval town on the river is the best place to to see "tuffeau", the chalky soil which makes wonderful cellars and cave like houses. Tuffeau is ideal for the cellars required for sparkling wine (somewhat like in Champagne), and we visited Bouvet-Ladubay, the second biggest sparkling winemaker in the Loire.

Bouvet-Ladubay, 49400 Saumur, (Tel : +33 2 41 83 83 83, Fax : +33 2 41 50 24 32).

Patrick Monmousseau, the President and CEO, is a warm friendly giant of a man, full of enthusiasm for Vijay Mallya, the charming new owner, a business man of diverse passions. We stayed in the Hotel Anne Anjou as Patrick's guests, and he took us to a marvelous lunch on a hill overlooking the Loire and Saumur. He showed his winery, and we tasted a number of his wines.

The best were the sparkling Trésor, and Instinct, though he makes many others, sparkling and still red and white: Bouvet-Ladubay's wines are Instinct, Trésor, Trésor Rose, Saumur Demi-Sec, Saumur Brut, Saphir (Saumur Brut), Zéro Saumur Extra Brut, Rubis Rouge Excellence, Cent Cinquantenaire Brut, all sparkling wines; and the following still wines :La Nonpareille-Saumur Blanc, Anjou Rosé, Chinon, Rosé de Loire, Saumur Champigny, Saumur Blanc, Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil, Cuvée de Jean Carmenet-Bourgueil, Les Nonpareils- Saumur Champigny. Bouvet-Ladubay does not own any vineyards; they buy the grapes and make, using "Methode Traditionelle", their sparkling wines. Good value for money, some of these wines are now available in India.

Claude Papin ; Château Pierre Bise, 49750 Beaulieu-sur-Layon ( Tel : +33 2 41 78 31 44 Fax : +33 2 41 78 41 24).

Next we went to Château Pierre Bise owned and run by winemaker Claude Papin, one of the world's greatest winemakers. He produces wines of articulate singularity. Papin is very knowledgeable and approachable, his focus is on maximising the effect of the geology and climatic conditions as opposed to the effect of the grape variety (Chenin Blanc) on the aroma and taste of his wines. In other words, he aims to produce "vins-de-terroir" as opposed to "vins-de-variété". Simplified, vins-de-terroir tend to have more minerality and vins-de-variété tend to be more fruity. Papin's vines are not biodynamically or organically grown, a minimum of agrochemicals are used on the vines to prevent disease. To maximise the effect of the 'terroir' on the taste/aroma of his wines, Claude Papin harvests his grapes much after they have reached physiological maturity (i.e. ripened), phenolic maturation when grapes have shrivelled and darkened. The overall effect of this is an increase in sugar content in the grape and an increase in phenolic compounds. The time required for the completion of phenolic maturation varies from between 2 and 14 days and is determined by climatic conditions that dictate the rate at which grapes shrivel and darken. From Papin's experience, fast shrivelling pushes the balance towards producing a vins-de-terroir and slow shrivelling towards a vins-de-variété. For Papin therefore, the faster the shrivelling the better. The factors that contribute most favorably to phenolic maturation are bright sunlight, infection by Botrytis and high wind (wind both dries grapes as well as leads to an increase in the incidence of Botrytis via spores carried in the wind). Other factors that increase phenolic compounds in plants are either a low water table or rocky soils. These factors however impose their effects throughout the growth period of the grape, not just during the period of phenolic maturation. Papin judges the time of harvest by tasting the grapes for sugar content and phenolic compounds. Grapes are juiced using a pneumatic press set to gentle pressure. No sugar, enzymes or yeast is added during fermentation which takes place in old oak barrels under ambient temperature conditions.

The vineyards of Claude Papin - all fantastic.

Appellation Savennières: Roches aux Moines and Savennières Clos de la Coulaine.
Wines of the Savennières AOC are made from Chenin Blanc and are dry to semi dry, pale gold full bodied and clean. Savennières is famed for its particularly long-lasting dry white wine comparable to that of Vouvray. A Savennières has to be served cold (46-50° F; 7-10° C) and pairs well with light sea food. The grapes for Roches aux Moines comes from a vineyard in which the soil is composed of red schist, sandstone and rhyolite. The grapes for Clos de la Coulaine comes from a vineyard in which the soil is composed of red and green schists, sand and relatively low levels of water. The more sand, the more acidity & the more schist, the more bitter the wine. These two vineyards have equivalent and moderate exposure to sun and wind. Therefore, Roches aux Moines is more acidic than Clos de la Coulaine and Clos de la Coulaine is more astringent than Roches aux Moines. Because there is less water in the soil of Clos de la

Coulaine, the grapes contain more phenolic compounds and so the wine is more complex with more minerality than Roches aux Moines (which is more fruity).

Appellation Coteaux du Layon: Chaume and Quarts de Chaume.
This is a large appellation for generally medium sweet white wine made from the Chenin Blanc grape. Wines may be sold as Demi-Sec, Moelleux and the sweetest of all, Liquoreux. The Coteaux du Layon AOC is the widest wine area of Anjou, a hilly region along the Layon river. The colour of Chaumes and Quarts de Chaume changes over time, from pale gold in its youth to a golden green, tinged with amber as it matures. Generally, the initial fruity bouquet blossoms later into those of quince, lime, peach, apricot, incense, wax and honey. Chaumes and Quarts de Chaume must be served at 6°C to 8° C (43 to 46°F). Quarts de Chaume can be drunk as an apéritif, served with melon or foie gras, and finally finished off with any crème based white, vanilla and/or almond desserts. Papin's grapes for Chaume and Quart de Chaume are from old Chenin blanc vines (over 50 years) grown in the same vineyard on similar soils. The soil is predominantly carboniferous (coal, volcanic ashes) but containing some sandstone and igneous rock known as Pierre Carré. The vineyard is windy and so after physiological maturation the grapes shrivel fast and get infected by Botrytis. Grapes for Quart de Chaume come from a higher more windy region than those for Chaumes, thus grapes reach phenolic maturity faster, resulting in a delicious wine that is sweeter, more aromatic with more minerality and vivacity than Chaumes.

Appellation Coteaux du Layon: Beaulieu Rouannières.

The vineyard in which the Chenin blanc grapes for Beaulieu Rouannières are grown is on soil composed largely of volcanic spilite, a rock known locally as pierre bise, and which gave its name to Papin's domaine. Only a very thin layer of soil lies over the rock. The vineyard is windy as it is open to the horizon. A rocky water stressed soil and speedy phenolic maturation due to mature grapes shrivelling by prevailing winds favours the expression of the terroir. This exceptional wine has strong minerality combined with a honey like sweetness.

Baumard, 49190 Rochefort-sur-Loire, (Tel : +33 2 41 78 70 03, Fax : +33 2 41 78 83 03).

Next on the list was Florent Baumard. Florent turned out to be a beautiful man - not only is he good looking but also extremely warm and gentle. He took over the control of Domaine des Baumard from his father in the late eighties. He makes Anjou Blanc AOC (using principally the Chenin Blanc grape but a small amount of chardonnay is permitted), Savennières AOC (Chenin Blanc), Coteaux du Layon AOC Moelleux (Chenin Blanc), Quarts de Chaume AOC Moelleux (Chenin Blanc), sparkling Crémant de Loire AOC (white from both Chenin Blanc, and Chenin Blanc with some Chardonnay, and rose from Cabernet Franc), Rosé de Loire AOC Sec (Cabernet Sauvignon and some Cabernet Franc) and Cabernet d'Anjou AOC, Anjou Rouge AOC (Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Franc with some Cabernet Sauvignon) and a Vins de Table, called Vert de l'Or .

His specialities however are his Savennières, Quarts de Chaumes, and sparkling wines. From the way he speaks of his sparkling wines, it appears that they are his babies! Baumard also makes high quality Coteaux du Layons. Baumard's farming technique is very cleverly thought out and unique, it aims at facilitating the ripening process and maximising the sugar content in the ripened grape. Baumard's vineyards fall across a range of different soil types and so these will not be focussed upon in this article. His farming technique however is very interesting.

In Baumard's vineyards, only alternate rows are planted with vines (i.e. one row is left unplanted). This unconventional distance maintained between vine rows is to serve two purposes - to leave ample space for direct sunlight to reach grape bearing branches and for the use of machinery. In addition, Baumard burns away all leaves that cover grape bunches, allowing grapes to be exposed to direct sunlight. Baumard trails the upper leaves of the vines upto 2 metres high. This maximises the leaf surfaces that are fully exposed to the sun, ensuring optimal photosynthesis. These practices facilitate ripening and increases the sugar content in grapes. Weeds (and grasses) are allowed to grow in some of the rows that are left fallow between the vines. Weeds keep the soil from eroding and maintains a good soil structure. Weeds also compete with vines for water, placing water stress on vines - known to enhance the effect of terroir in wines. Most cleverly, in periods of drought, Baumard cuts all the weed and grass leaving it in a layer over the ground to prevent evaporation! Manure is added to the other alternate empty rows and the soil is ploughed. This prevents soil compactation and encourages 'living' soil (essential soil microorganisms thrive). Because of the rules of an appellation and the high value placed on tradition in France, these unusual viticulture methods (developed in 1955) have not yet been readily embraced by the state. In fact, Baumard has taken the controversies to the highest level in court in order to protect his vineyards from state ignorance! Baumard takes great care in ensuring that grapes are harvested at the right time, when fully ripe and nicely plump (anywhere between October to late November).

However, for only Quarts the Chaumes AOC Moelleux and Coteaux du Layon AOC Moelleux, over-ripe or botrytised grapes are picked. As Chenin grapes do not ripen regularly on each vine, Baumard selectively and manually picks only the over mature grapes (usually concentrated by dehydration or noble rot) throughout October and November. Depending on the year, two to five selections take place, every eight to ten days. For Baumard’s cuvée

"Le Paon" in Coteaux du Layon AOC, grapes are picked from only the oldest vines. Thus, this cuvée is possible only if the vintage deserves it. The last vintages released were 1989, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2003.

To minimise damage and oxidation, Baumard ensures that the harvested grape bunches are treated with utmost gentleness. They are transported to the vinery in small shallow trays by a suspended trailer system. Grapes are pressed gently using a pneumatic press - in his words the grapes are pressed as if 'each grape was being pressed between his two fingers'. The separation of juice from the solid waste is carefully monitored and controlled. Except for his sparkling wines, no commercial yeasts are used. Fermentation takes place under temperature controlled conditions in large steel vats.

The wines we tasted:

Savennières: Flower bouquets and mineral flavours are characteristic of Baumard's young Savennières. The expression of terroir resulting in minerality is not masked in these wines as they are not aged in oak. His creamy Triée Spéciale and mineral rich Clos du Papillon are exceptional. Youth lasts about five years. This is when most Savennières are consumed. Wine lovers however tend to keep old vintages. Savennières age slowly (10 to 25 years). Some years have produced wines considered to be some of the top white wines in the world. Baumard's Quarts the Chaume ranges from being fresh, leafy, and melon like combined with vanilla cream richness to exclusively warm honey and caramel. Baumard’s Coteaux du Layon is another excellent sweet wine, with similar properties to his Quarts de Chaume. As already mentioned his cuvée "Le Paon" is the wine to look out for. Baumard's sparkling wines are gentle, fruity and light. His Tourquoise is an absolute joy to drink. Its fresh and citrus like aroma is very uplifting. It combines well with crème de cassis to make a wonderful kir royale. Baumard's Brut rose, is a lovely warm pink colour, with rose and mild ginger aromas. It makes a lovely light and refreshing sundowner.

Domaine de l'Ecu; 44430 Le Landereau ( tel : +33 2 40 06 40 91, Fax : +33 2 40 06 46 79)

The next morning we visited Guy Bossard’s Domaine de l'Ecu in the Muscadet Appellation. Muscadet is the largest white wine appellation in France. It includes Muscadet AOC and three regional appellations, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire and Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu. Muscadet, which has been produced and aged in accordance with certain strict guidelines, which involves keeping the wine in the barrel (on the lees or sur lie) all winter, allowing the wine's aromas to develop, may be designated "Muscadet Sur Lie." The Muscadet AOC is named after the grape from which it is made rather than its place of origin. The Muscadet grape, also called the Melon de Bourgogne, was brought to the Loire centuries ago from Burgundy. It produces a crisp tangy white wine. Muscadet wines are fabulous with fresh seafood, and the region is full of restaurants serving the same. Hugh Johnson writes "Formerly the darling of Paris bistros, then démodé, Muscadet has come roaring back with fabulous wines since 1995."

Guy Bossard and his wife are remarkably kind and gentle people. Guy Bossard is a winemaker who converted to organic methods for health reasons, after his father became very ill from agro-chemicals. Certified organic since 1975, and biodynamic since 1986, he now produces one of the best ranges of wines in the Appelation Muscadet, from just a little over 50 acres. Bossard produces wines named after the soil types that the vines are grown on. Here is the story.

Bossard had farmed his vineyards using organic and biodynamic methods for several years. In these years, he noticed that his grapes always ripened fastest in one vineyard, slower in another and slowest in a third vineyard. This intrigued him as the vineyards were very similar, placed adjacent to each other, each with the same exposure to the sun and wind, the grape variety was the same, the vines were of similar age (approximately 35 years) and the land was cultivated in the same manner. Bossard thought that this difference could be due to differences in soil composition and found that this was indeed the case. The grapes that ripened fastest (in May) were grown on a soil composed predominantly of Gneiss, followed (in August) by those that were grown on Orthogneiss. The grapes that ripened slowest (in October) were grown on Granite. Gneiss is a metamorphic rock formed either from sedimentary or volcanic/igneous origins. It is composed of hardened flaky layers very much like slate, being slightly more crumbly than slate converting to clay quite readily.

In Bossard's vineyards, Gneiss is often found beneath a thick layer of soil. Orthogneiss is a Gneiss derived from volcanic origins (igneous rock). It is much harder and more crystalised than Gneiss and in the vineyard lies beneath only a thin layer of soil. Granite is a hard and tough crystalline rock, igneous in origin. It is nearly always massive lacking many internal breaks. The vineyard composed of Granite has a very thin layer of soil, if any, because of this the soil is very well drained and so vine roots have to grow quite deep to access water.

To demonstrate this to us, Bossard took us to an area that had been dug up and showed us regions situated very close to each other (approximately 3 metres apart) composed entirely of either one rock type or of entirely another. Bossard was convinced that the different soils would impact the minerality of wines in different ways as minerality is encouraged when vines are water stressed. This turned out to be correct. He found that the wine made from grapes grown on Gneiss was light fresh and fruity with only slight minerality, that which was made from grapes grown on Orthogneiss were more complex with a nice balance between fruitiness and minerality (with minerality perhaps taking over) and the wine made from grapes grown on Granite were only discreetly fruity with strong yet mellow minerality. Additionally, this wine revealed its full potential on aging for upto 10 years, optimally for between 3 and 5.

And so, in 1998 he started to produce wines to express these separate soils and named them accordingly - "Expression de Gneiss", "Expression de Orthogneiss" and "Expression de Granit". Bossard puts in a lot of thought and work to maximise the expression of soil in his wines. His philosophy is to respect and treat with utmost care and gentleness every aspect of wine making. In biodynamic farming there is a white quartz that is powdered very fine and a small amount of powder is churned into 40 litres of water and used to spray 10,000 square metres. Once he sprays the vines, (always prior to sunrise and only on days designated by the biodynamic calendar), he puts great importance on walking around the vineyard with great humbleness and respect for the plants (in his words translated "not as an arrogant farm owner would").

He works the land himself with great respect for the soil, the grapes and the juice. He uses the help of his horse (and not a tractor) to plough the vineyards. The horse is used primarily to plough fields containing very young and old vines as Bossard strongly believes that these vines are fragile and need to be ploughed with care. Biodynamic preparations are used to keep the soil fertile and alive with healthy bacteria. His vines are over 30 years old and so have deep roots, nevertheless to ensure that the vines continue to root deeply (according to Bossard this is essential for the "expression of the soil") Bossard minimises the application of fertiliser in order for the roots to be directed downwards deep into the soil instead of over the surface. Although biodynamic methods result in relatively low yielding vines, the vines are healthy and strong, carrying grapes that are intensely flavoursome and not watery.

Bossard's grapes are harvested individually by hand at a stage when the grapes are mature but not too mature (Melon de Bourgogne losses flavour during fermentation if picked when over mature). The grapes are pressed gently. As a first step in winemaking, grape juice is sedimented to remove large impurities before fermentation. This sedimentation removes some natural yeasts as well as some flavours and thus requires the addition of industrial yeasts for fermentation and sulphites to prevent spoilage. Since the grapes harvested by Bossard are "clean" Bossard believes that there is no need for sedimentation. The natural yeasts and flavours are kept intact and the amount of sulphite required to be added to the wine is minimal. Interestingly, Bossard ferments his wines in concrete square structures lined on the inside by glass. After fermentation Bossard ages his wines together with all the sediment and bacteria, a process called 'sur lie'. By not removing the sediment after fermentation, Bossard prevents early oxidation of wines and allowing for complexity to develop.

Nicolas Joly ; Clos de la Coulée de Serrant ; 49170 Savennières ( tel : +33 2 41 72 22 32, Fax : +33 2 41 72 28 68)

Our next visit was to the heart of biodynamic viticulture, to the vineyards of Nicolas Joly. Nicolas Joly is a very warm, welcoming and enthusiastic person. He was once a successful investment banker in New York. Now, he is “biodynamic” viticulture. This does not mean that he is, in an academic sense, the most influential or the best in his field (which he happens to be), but that he embodies biodynamic principles wherein he is the farm, the earth, the sky and the wine! There is no separation. Joly, evidenced by experiential knowledge, knows the interconnectedness of all 'systems'.

This is borne to light in Joly's work. Joly is anguished by the lack of spirit today in a 'spirit-charged' universe. In his words "An elephant knows how to find water, even if it is 40 kilometres away, because they are part of (nature's) system. They just know. A male butterfly can find a female butterfly even if she is kilometres away - because they are part of that system too. We need to become part of that system, because once you are part of that system, nature's system will naturally help you. This is what "Biodynamics" is all about. It is a fantastic system that you receive on your own landscape, in your own way, to catch the climate and to catch the soil. It is not something that you do for five days a year, it is about your own understanding, your own energy, your own soil, your own climate. Nature is just a giving process, which you can use well, or not well. When you grow a tomato bush, it gives you fruit, and it never gives you a bill the next day. Nature is a giving process only."

Joly aims to make not just good wines but true wines- "a wine must not only taste good but also be sincere, reflecting the subtleties of its place of origin”. He is a viticulturist that assists nature rather than control it to make wine.

Joly farms three vineyards in the appellation Savennières- Coulee de Serrant, Savennière- Roche aux Moines, and Savennière. All three vineyards are planted with Chenin Blanc. Joly's Coulée de Serrant vineyard is ancient, once farmed by Cistercian monks in 1130. The average age of vines is 30, all new vines planted are clonally propagated (cuttings) from the oldest vines to preserve vineyard subtleties in the vine. He enriches the vineyard with biodynamic preparations and manure (for which he has a herd of rare cattle). He treats pests using methods that are in harmony with the vineyard, spraying plant based infusions of sage, sorrel, willow, nettle, thuya, elm, oak bark, goemon, arnica, blackthorn, grande cousoude to name a few. All these plants are sourced from the farm itself or the neighbouring hills and picked at a given auspicious time. He has found that basic milk also works well. He allows a wintertime passage of a flock of Ouessant sheep in most of the vineyards. This rustic breed feeds on the weeds and converts it into manure! In the springtime, a portable chicken coop is installed in the vineyards where there are snails.

He plants, harvests and prunes according to the biodynamic calendar. When asked how do you know when to harvest, he answers "how does one know when a banana is ripe, there is no need for scientific diagnosis". He harvests grapes by hand over a period of two months, at a stage when they are ripe and have started to dry and be somewhat shrivelled. His harvest tastes intensely sweet. He presses grapes without washing them, as healthy grapes need no washing. The cellar is treated as a womb and is not a laboratory for Joly. Intervention is minimal. The yeasts used are natural and all temperatures are ambient. The wine is aged together with the sediment (lies). And only a small amount of sulphite is added to preserve the final product.

In Joly's opinion, when grapes are grown badly using salts and chemicals such as artificial fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides they absorb a lot of water. Watery vines and grapes have less flavour and are prone to infection, demanding more pesticide. The grapes are often not wine worthy, and so the cellar often becomes a temperature controlled laboratory and wines are salvaged by the addition of specific aromatic yeasts to restore flavour (incidentally today, commercially available yeasts can impart any flavour the wine maker might wish, from banana, chocolate, passionfruit and vanilla, to almond, red berry and grass!). The taste of the site is lost. Joly is anguished by the fact that these practices have resulted in the loss of the Appellation, which was originally instated to guarantee consumers a wine that reflected the specific qualities of the grape, climate and soil of the region.

Joly's wines should, whenever possible, be decanted, the 1989 for 24 hours before serving, and be kept at cellar temperature of approximately 12°C. We bought the best bottles of the 1989 from Joly. A recorked half empty bottle, keeps and even improves for several days without being refrigerated. This is the sign of a true wine. Joly's wines are intensely mineral, in a pleasant way. This is true expression of terroir. He believes that minerality is more important than aroma. Every wine of his is intense. They are deeply coloured and the predominant flavours are those of mineral, straw and honey. His Coulée de Serrant Molleux is to die for.

It is worth meeting Mark Angeli in the area, though we couldn't. Mark Angeli; de la Sansonnerie ; 49380 Thourace; Tel : +33 2 41 54 80 80 , Fax : +33 2 41 54 80 80.

We drove to the Grand Hotel du Lion d'Or at Romorantin-Lathenay, to be much nearer the Sauvignon Blanc areas of Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire. The hotel is definitely worth a visit, a Renaissance building converted by the Japanese into a very modern hotel, with the best dining we had in the Loire Valley.