Touraine-Amboise: Difference between revisions

'''Touraine-Amboise''' ({{IPA|fr|tuʁɛn ɑ̃bwaz}}) is an ''[[Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée]]'' (AOC) for in the [[Loire Valley (wine)|Loire Valley wine region]] in [[France]]. It is situated within the wider [[Touraine AOC]] wine appellation. It is produced by ten communes bordering both sides of the [[Loire (river)|River Loire]]. To their west lies the town of [[Amboise]] with its famous [[Château d'Amboise|royal château]]. Since its separation from the Touraine AOC in 1954, it has constituted an AOC in its own right. Annual production stands at 9,000 hectolitres of wine, spread between red, rosé, and still white wines. Effervescent wines are also produced within this AOC's boundaries, but they are not entitled to use the Touraine-Amboise appellation, belonging instead to the Touraine appellation.<ref>[http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=253BF80AC172B4A02D2A1B95BF132C20.tpdjo11v_1?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000021164008&dateTexte=&oldAction=rechJO&categorieLien=id Décret n° 2009-1253 du 16 octobre 2009]</ref>

=== Prehistory and Antiquityantiquity ===

There is evidence that people were living on the sloping hillsides of this middle stretch of the Loire as early as [[palaeolithic]] and [[neolithic]] times. The Châtelliers plateau, on the edge of which the Château of Amboise is built, contains one of the Loire region's most important [[Chasséen culture|Chasséen]] neolithic sites.<ref>Le site chasséen du plateau des Châtelliers à Amboise -– G Cordier -– ''Revue archéologique du centre de la France'' -– Joué-lès-Tours -– 1995 -– V34 -– pp109-155pp. 109–155</ref> An [[axe]] made with local stone and a [[dagger]] made with stone from the [[Le Grand-Pressigny|Grand-Pressigny]] region, have been discovered to the west of the market town of Limeray.<ref>Christian Guyon (conseiller général et maire d'Amboise, ''Le canton d'Amboise'', published ca 2002, p. 24</ref> Significant permanent settlements seem to have grown up at the start of the [[Bronze Age]] (approximately 5,000 years BC), while large-scale planting of the valleys dates from the final period of the Bronze Age, between 1,200 and 750 BC.<ref>''Guide bleu Hachette'', Centre, 1991, pp. 58–59</ref> At that time, following the last glacial period, vines already existed in their wild state as a kind of creeper growing on the edges of forests and on stony soils, but wine-making was as yet undiscovered.

In the first century AD the geographer, [[Pliny the Elder]] (23-7923–79 AD), described [[viticulture|wine-growing]] in [[Gaul]] as well-developed, but made no specific mention of wines produced along the banks of the Loire.<ref>[[Pliny the Elder]], ''Natural History'', XIV</ref> Whereas the [[Nantes]] wine-growing area dates back to the Roman occupation, popular tradition links the start of vine cultivation in the province of [[Touraine]] (in the middle section of the Loire's course) to the founding of [[Marmoutier Abbey (Tours)|Marmoutier Abbey]] by [[Martin of Tours|St Martin]] in 372 AD. [[Decline of the Roman Empire|The fall of the Roman empire]], and the turbulent centuries of the [[early Middle Ages]] that followed, interrupted the development of wine production, and the use of wine was restricted to religious practices and medical applications, in both cases dispensed by monasteries. This was documented by [[Sulpicius Severus]], writing about meals at Marmoutier Abbey at the end of the 4th century: "Everyone gathered to break the fast and eat together; there was no wine provided except when illness demanded it".<ref>[[Sulpicius Severus]], ''Life of saint Martin'', ch. X</ref> Several legends about the effects of drinking wine or pruning vines are linked to St Martin of Tours.

No information is available regardngregarding wine-growing or wine production in the area directly around Amboise during the [[Middle Ages]]. One can only make deductions from what is known of the wine-growing history of the region, and assume that local circumstances would not have differed greatly.

From the 11th century onwards the majority of monasteries and abbeys strung out along the banks of the [[Loire (river)|Loire]] were involved in wine-growing, taking full advantage of the opportunity for transporting wine by river. A text dating from this time describes how a cleric from [[Chinon]] used this mode of transport to take his wine to [[Nantes]].<ref group="N">Issue de ''La vie et les miracles de saint Mexme'' XI^e, cité dans ''Les vins de Loire'', Éditions Montalba, 1979, p. 31</ref>

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File:Francis1-1François Ier Louvre.jpg|François I of France

=== Modern Periodperiod ===

Two main factors contributed to the growth of Touraine wines between the 16th and 19th century. The first was a decree issued by the Paris parliament on 14 August 1577, forbidding Paris wine merchants to obtain their supplies from anywhere within twenty [[league (unit)|leagues]]<ref group="N">Avant 1674, il s'agissait de l'ancienne [[lieue]] de Paris, d'une longueur de {{Formatnum:3248}} mètres, soit une distance d'environ 65 &nbsp;km.</ref> of the city.<ref group="N">Interdiction annulée en 1776 par un édit royal.</ref> Since the [[Loire Valley]] was easily accessible by road from the capital, demand rapidly increased firstly in the province of [[Orléanais]], then in the province of Touraine. The second factor was the popularity of the Loire Valley's white wines with [[Holland|Dutch]] buyers. The latter installed agents, charged with overseeing their imports at close quarters, in several [[Loire Valley]] trading posts, including [[Amboise]].

To all intents and purposes, the Dutch agents were middle-men, stocking and selling on French wines to the whole world and making a considerable profit in the process. [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert|Colbert]] (Louis XIV's finance minister) attempted to break their monopoly by creating a trading company that could deal directly with the markets. The Dutch retaliated by levying a heavy surcharge on various French manufactured articles, as well as French brandy and wine.<ref>André Cochut, ''Le ministère de Colbert'', Revue des Deux Mondes, T.15, 1846 [http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Le_Minist%C3%A8re_de_Colbert Wikisource]</ref> Exports slowed down, with the regrettable result that the focus of production shifted from quality to quantity. A further undesirable effect was that cereal crops were often abandoned in favour of wine-growing, regardless of the land's suitability.<ref>{{harvsp|Robert de Lala Croix|1979|pp=36–37}}</ref>

=== Contemporary Historyhistory ===

In 1954, the wine-growing area located around the [[Château d'Amboise]], which was originally classed as part of the "Coteaux-de-Touraine" <ref>Devenue en 1953 Touraine (AOC)|l'AOC touraine</ref> [[Appellation d'origine contrôlée|AOC]] by the decree passed on 24 December 1939, was granted its own appellation of Touraine-Amboise. The new appellation originally covered nine communes in the department of [[Indre-et-Loire]], three on the left bank of the [[Loire (river)|Loire]] ([[Amboise]], [[Chargé]] and [[Mosnes]]) and six on the right bank ([[Cangey]], [[Limeray]], [[Pocé-sur-Cisse]], [[Nazelles-Négron]], [[Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes]] and [[Montreuil-en-Touraine]]). The commune of [[Saint-Règle]] (on the left bank) was added to the appellation by the decree of 2 August 2005.<ref>[http://www.inao.gouv.fr/public/produits/showTexte.php?comiteNat=1&id_txt=636 Décret officiel de constitution de l'AOC]</ref> In 1967 the Commanderie des Grands Vins d'Amboise (the Order of the Great Wines of Amboise) was established to ensure that the wines were well promoted.

The wide valley of the Loire is made up of a mixture of [[sand]] and [[silt]] that is carried along by the river.<ref name="GEO">[Notice de la carte géologique d'Amboise (XIX-22) publiée par le Bureau de recherches géologiques et minières</ref> The slopes on either side are made up of a mixture of [[clay]]s and other elements that have come down from the plateau areas. The wine-growing area is mainly located on the two -halves of the plateau and, occasionally, on the upper slopes to either side of the valley. The plateau areas are covered in a thin layer of clay-sand silt that has been deposited there by the wind. Beneath this silt lies a polygenetic [[puddingstone (rock)|puddingstone]] dating from the Upper [[Eocene]] Age, mixed with varicoloured clays and small pebbles of rolled [[silex]], [[Jurassic]] [[chert]]s and [[quartz]] grains. The soils of this wine-growing [[terroir]] can be carbonate, overlying tuffeau stone on the higher slopes, or, more frequently, silicate and fairly heavy, overlying sands and clay gravels.<ref>Terroirs et vins de France. ''Itinéraires œnologiques et géologiques''. Touraine-amboise, p. 306.</ref>

The Touraine wine-growing area is located at a point where [[oceanic climate|marine]] and [[continental climate|continental]] influences meet. A series of east-westeast–west facing [[valleys]], where the continental influence is less harsh, present ideal conditions for the creation of [[microclimate]]s that are especially favourable to wine-growing.

|source 1 = Infoclimat : Tours <ref>[http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/?s=07240&d=2004-01-01 Relevés infoclimat de Tours]

According to the conclusions of two studies published in the [[United States]] (one of which was conducted by the [[Colmar]] branch of l'[[Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique|INRA]] ({{Lang|fr|Institut National de Recherche Agronomique|italic=no}} or French National Institute for Agricultural Research) on the consequences of [[global warming]] for wine-growing, the [[Loire Valley]] wine-growing area should be one of the prime beneficiaries of the gradual increase in temperatures. Basing their calculations on [[Sotheby's]] auction statistics, these studies suggest that in the last ten years the optimum temperature for producing quality wine has already been reached in most French wine-growing areas, but that there is a margin for potential improvement of about 0.8 &nbsp;°C along the banks of the Loire. If these conclusions are right, the wines of this region could, in fact, reach their peak without the need for any changes in the grape varieties grown.<ref>{{in lang|en}} E. Duchêne et C. Schneider, ''Grapevine and climatic changes : a glance at the situation in Alsace'', Agron, Sustain, Dev. 25 (2005) pp.93-99 93–99</ref>{{,}}.<ref>{{in lang|en}} G.Jones, M.White, O.Cooper & K.Storchmann, ''Climate change and global wine quality in Climatic Change'', Springer, Volume 73 N°3, 12/2005, pp.319-343 319–343</ref>

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==== Planting ====

The density of planting must be at least 4,500 vines per hectare, the maximum distance between rows being 2.1 metres. The bottom wire of the trellis must be no more than 0.55 metres above the ground. The AOC status only applies to wines produced from the harvest gathered two years after the year in which the vines were planted (before the 31st31 August).

* Chemical treatments, using [[pesticide|spesticides]]s and [[herbicide]]s, in order to protect the vines against cryptogamic diseases such as [[mildew]], [[Uncinula necator|oidium]], grey rot, etc., and against [[insect]]s such as the [[Eudemis]] and the [[Cochylis]]. Every effort is made to minimize the environmental effects of these procedures.

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The harvest usually begins in the second week of September and continues through to the first weeks of October. Over the last fifteen years or so, the use of mechanized harvesters has become increasingly common, especially since virtually all the wine-growing area lies on level ground. As a result, manual harvesting has virtually died out.

The grapes are [[harvest (wine)|harvest]]ed, either manually or by machine, when they are fully ripe. Sometimes grapes that have been harvested manually are sorted, either on the vines or at a sorting table on the wine-maker's premises, to ensure that rotten or insufficiently ripe grapes are removed.<ref name="VITI">''Conduite et gestion de l'exploitation agricole'', cours de viticulture du lycée viticole de Beaune (1999–2001). Baccalauréat professionnel option viticulture-oenologie.</ref> Grapes that have been harvested manually are usually crushed, then transferred to a tank. Pre-fermentation cold maceration is sometimes carried out. [[Ethanol fermentation|Alcoholic fermentation]] can then begin, normally after the addition of [[yeast (wine)|yeast]]. The next stage is the extraction of [[phenolsPhenolic content in wineswine|polyphenolpolyphenols]]s ([[Tannin|tannins]] and [[Anthocyanin|anthocyanins]]) and other chemical constituents of the grapes. In the past this was carried out by a process called [[pigeage]], which involved repeatedly pushing the floating cap of grape solids back down into the fermenting juice. Now, however, extraction is normally brought about by a series of remontages. This involves pumping the juice from the bottom of the tank, then pouring it over the cap of grape solids to wash out the grapes' distinctive constituents. The temperature for alcoholic fermentation can be varied, but the normal average temperature at the height of fermentation is between 28 and 35 degrees Celsius. If the naturally generated temperature is too low, [[chaptalization]] may be carried out. This practice is subject to external regulations. Once alcoholic fermentation has finished, the liquid is removed from the tank and separated into [[free-run wine and press wine]]. [[Malolactic fermentation]] may take place next, but is dependent on temperature. The wine is drawn off and stored in barrels or vats to be matured. The maturing process takes several months (6six to 24twenty-four months),<ref name="VITI"/> after which the wine is fined, filtered and bottled.

As with red wine-making, harvesting is manual or mechanized, and may include sorting. The grapes are then transferred into a press to be pressed. Once the grape must is in the tank, the sludge is removed, normally after certain enzymes have been added. At this stage pre-fermentation cold stabulation (at temperatures between 10 and 12 &nbsp;°C for several days) may be carried out in order to promote the extraction of aromas. Normally, however, after 12 to 48 hours, the clear juice is drawn off and left to ferment. [[Alcoholic fermentation]] continues under supervision, particular attention being paid to the temperature, which must remain more or less stable (between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius).<ref name="VITI" /> If necessary, chaptalization is also carried out in order to boost the alcoholic strength by volume. [[Malolactic fermentation]] and maturing then take place in barrels or in vats. Once this process is completed, the wine is filtered in order to clarify it. The final stage of the whole operation is the bottling of the wine.

The minimum and maximum [[Yield (wine)|yield]]s for the AOC, stipulated by the decree of 12 July 1994,<ref>Article 4 du décret du 12 juillet 1994 relatif à l'appellation d'origine contrôlée << Touraine >> -– J.O Numero 165 du 19 juillet 1994.</ref> are as follows:

==== Sugar content ====

The soil is made up of alternating "{{Lang|fr|perruches"}} and "{{Lang|fr|aubuis"}} soils,<ref name="VDL1">[http://www.vinsdeloire.fr/vins_vdl/fiche_aoc.aspx?ID=3b255aeb-3503-4f6a-b19d-b940151bb690 Touraine Amboise -AOC par décret du 24 décembre 1939] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081113202151/http://www.vinsdeloire.fr/vins_vdl/fiche_aoc.aspx?ID=3b255aeb-3503-4f6a-b19d-b940151bb690 |date=13 November 2008 }}, sur ''www.vinsdeloire.fr'', consulté le 3 décembre 2009.</ref> as they are called in French. {{Lang|fr|Perruches}} are clays combined with silica, which warm up quickly and are the reason why these wines have a flinty taste. {{Lang|fr|Aubuis}} are a mixture of permeable, fertile, calcereous[[List of vineyard soil types|calcareous clays]], which give the wine its powerful character and are perfectly suited to white grape varieties.

One of the features of this AOC is the large number of small family concerns, despite the gradual disappearance of very small plots farmed by retired people or those in paid employment, for whom wine- production was only a means of supplementing their main income.

* The red wines are fruity and balanced with depth of colour. They should be served at between 14 &nbsp;°C and 16 &nbsp;°C and can be used as an accompaniment to game, meats and cheeses. They can be kept on average for 2 to 5 years, longer for batches that have been aged in oak barrels.

Marketing is largely carried out directly by the wine-growers from their wine cellars that are usually hollowed out of the local [[tufa|tuffeau]] rock, and by the Cellier Léonard de Vinci<ref>[http://www.cellier-leonard-de-vinci.com/index.htm Cellier Léonard de Vinci] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407001051/http://www.cellier-leonard-de-vinci.com/index.htm |date=7 April 2010 }}</ref> (Leonardo da Vinci Wine Cellar) in [[Limeray]], a [[winemaking cooperative]] set up in 1931 by Charles Bellamy and some local wine-growers under the name "Cave des vignerons de Limeray" (Limeray Wine-growers Cellar), and renamed in 1995. Customer sales are managed by the ''Caveau des vignerons d'Amboise''<ref>[http://caveauvins-amboise.monsite.wanadoo.fr/ Caveau des vins d'Amboise]</ref> (Amboise Wine-growers Vault), located immediately below the [[Château of Amboise]], as well as by various shops in Amboise and the surrounding towns.

{{Lang|fr|La Commanderie des Grands Vins d'Amboise|italic=no}} (the Order of the Great Wines of Amboise) is a guild for the promotion of fine wines founded on the 15th15 April, 1967 by a team of wine-growers who were backed by [[Michel Debré]], honorary president of the {{Lang|fr|Syndicat des Vins de Touraine Amboise|italic=no}} (Touraine-Amboise wine-growers' union).

The Order derives its name from an order of the Hospitaller Knights of St John of Jerusalem,<ref group="N">Elle avait pour nom exact « Commanderie de Saint-Jean de l'Isle-lès-Amboise »</ref> who were based on the {{Lang|fr|Ile d'Or|italic=no}}<ref group="N">Anciennement appelée île saint-Jean du fait de la présence de cette commanderie</ref> (Island of Gold), at the foot of the [[Château of Amboise]], during the [[Middle Ages]]. The Order has as its motto "{{Lang|frm|Nos Roys l'ont aymé"}} (mediaeval French for "Our kings loved it"), a reference to [[Louis XI|Louis XI's]] [[charter]] decreeing that Amboise wine should be sold before all other kinds at the market in [[Tours]]. The order's purpose is to promote wines from the Touraine-Amboise appellation area in Europe and throughout the world.

The writer of regional literature, Robert Morin (1893–1925) was the author of ''{{Lang|fr|Mélie Buttelière''}} ('Mélie the Basket Carrier'), which was published posthumously in 1926. In the 1920s Morin lived in the Ménard manor house at [[Pocé-sur-Cisse]]. His heroine, Mélie, lived half wayhalfway up a hillside in a cave- dwelling between the hamlets of Fourchette and Moncé in [[Limeray]], right in the heart of the present AOC wine-growing area. Her job was to carry the soil washed down the hillsides by the rain back up the slopes again, earthing up the base of each vine. The small basket she used was known locally as a "{{Lang|fr|buttelet"}}, and is the root of the word "{{Lang|fr|buttelière"}} (basket carrier), Mélie's job title. By depicting a few brief scenes from her existence, the author painted a vivid picture of the lives and characterful speech of the local wine-growing community in the early 20th century.

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| pageisbn = 978-2-85870-016-5