All about Coteaux du Loir

Vallée du Loir

Developed by Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages, celebrated by Henri IV and finely mapped under Louis XIV

Contents

Origins

History

Developed by Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages, celebrated by Henri IV and fi nally mapped under Louis XIV, the vineyard has undergone a qualitative revival coupled with a profound revival of public interest since the 1970s.

Presentation

The Coteaux du Loir geographical area covers 16 communes in Sarthe and 6 in Indre-et-Loire.

Soil and climate

Soil: Turonian chalk (tuffeau), broken down into flint clays on sloping hillsides.

Climate: This appellation is one of the most northerly in the Loire Valley. Protected by the Bercé forest to the north and benefiting from adjacent valleys and south-facing hillsides, it enjoys a temperate Touraine climate, broken down into numerous microclimates.

 

Cultivation methods

Density of approximately 5,000 plants/ha.