Loire Valley 2023 vintage report: Red wines and the best new releases

‘If people are more interested in the Loire these days, it’s because we have greatly profited from the changing climate’. These are the words of Benoît Amirault, of Domaine Yannick Amirault in Bourgueil. It’s a sentiment echoed by many other red wine producers in the Loire Valley. This is still a marginal climate for red wines, so the impact of the vintage is more pronounced here than in most other red wine regions. Scroll down to see Beverley Blanning MW’s selection of the best new releases of red Loire wines [subscriber-content]Recent years have seen some of the Loire’s most successful vintages yet for red wines. After the 2022 vintage, which Amirault describes as ‘great – a vintage I’d like to make every year,’ he euphemistically describes 2023 as ‘ un millésime sport ’, referring to the amount of activity required in the vines. Thanks to the humidity, Amirault had to treat his vines for mildew 13 times during the growing season, compared with just five times in 2022. The growing season The 2023 vintage started out very well. There was no frost to speak of and the fruit set was good. It looked as if the Loire might be shaping up for a bumper harvest. It was also a warm vintage: at France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), researcher Etienne Neethling calculated 2023 to be the second-warmest Loire growing season on record (second only to 2022). Yet the two consecutive vintages could hardly be more different. Whereas 2022 was a year of persistent sunshine, heat and drought, 2023 was characterised by cloudy, cool and humid weather throughout most of the growing season, providing ideal conditions for fungal diseases. Growers had to be vigilant to keep mildew and rot at bay. Heterogeneous weather was recorded across the region, but it was more a question of how badly each vineyard was suffering, rather than some areas doing well at the expense of others. Summer strife Then, at the end of August, a heat wave hit, with temperatures reaching 40°C. While the heat helped to complete ripening in some vineyards, in others its severity caused the vines to shut down, stalling ripening altogether. The heat was quickly followed by a series of September storms, swelling the grapes and diluting the juice. All in all, 2023 was another uniquely difficult harvest for Loire growers. Hervé Malinge, of Domaine des Sables Verts in Saumur-Champigny, comments, ‘It was a very challenging vintage. When we started, the acids were too high and the alcohol was too low; a week later the situation was reversed. It was hard to manage the fermentation.’ His solution was to remove half of the skins during the fermentation, to make a lighter, juicier wine. But the key to success in 2023, he says, was sorting fruit in the vineyard. [caption id="attachment_542495" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Caroline Meurée and her husband, Hervé Maligne, owners of Domaine des Sables Verts, who make Saumur-Champigny and Saumur. Credit: Domaine des Sables Verts.[/caption] See all of Beverley Blanning MW's top Loire latest releases here What to expect Already, comparisons are being made locally to the 2021 vintage. The red wines of both 2021 and 2023 are certainly for earlier drinking than the 2022s. Some of the youthful early releases from 2023 are very attractive, showing riper, rounder fruit than the somewhat lean 2021s, balanced by supple tannins. Thierry Germain, of Domaine des Roches Neuves in Saumur-Champigny, says the 2023 vintage has produced ‘the flesh of 2022, with the finesse of 2021 and fine tannins’. The majority of the wines recommended below are from the excellent 2022 vintage, another unusual year where growers were rewarded with sunshine and beautifully ripe, healthy grapes across all varieties. There was some risk of over-extracted tannins in the drought-thickened skins of Cabernet Franc in 2022, so some of these wines need time. But for the most part, pure fruit shines through. In Sancerre and the vineyards of the central Loire, the Pinot Noirs are succulent and full of charm, with beautifully ripe, balanced fruit. The Gamays of the Auvergne are also delightful, with fleshy fruit and no excess. In summary, the 2023 vintage relied heavily on the skill and dedication of growers. Yields for reds were slightly above average and early tastings show wines that are light and refreshing in style, mostly for drinking in the next five to six years. Growers have learned that they need to be ready for all eventualities, and to expect the unexpected. Chinon-based Jérôme Billard, of Domaine de la Noblaie says, ‘The biggest challenge now is the climate; everything else we can manage.’ [breakout] Loire red wines: Know your vintages 2019 : Spring frosts affected many areas, reducing yields, but what remained produced concentrated wines with excellent balance and ageing potential. 5/5

2020 : This was a very warm, high-quality vintage, although not quite at the level of 2019 across the board, due to some elevated alcohol levels. Nevertheless, some excellent wines were made. 4.5/5

2021 : A very difficult vintage, affected first by severe frosts across the region and then by a cool summer, leaving smaller crops that struggled to ripen. The best producers made wines that are light, fragrant and really very attractive, but many other wines are rather lean and tart. 3/5

2022 : An excellent vintage for red wines, with plush, ripe, generous fruit. A keeper, although many of the wines are already delicious now (see recommendations below) 5/5

2023 : This vintage challenged the morale and resources of growers, who battled throughout the season for the health of their crop. Successful early releases show attractive wines with balanced, ripe fruit and gentle tannins. 4/5

[/breakout] Beverley Blanning MW's book, The Wines of the Loire Valley, was published in October 2024 and is available to buy for £35 [/subscriber-content] Beverley Blanning MW’s top Loire red latest releases: [wine-collection] Related articles Loire reds 2022 plus top new releases Loire Valley Cabernet Franc: panel tasting results Clos Rougeard: Loire’s top Cabernet Francs?