Loupiac is a sweet white wine appellation of the Bordeaux region, for wines made in an area on the northern bank of the Garonne river, 18 miles (30km) south-east of Bordeaux city. Here, it is in the heartland of Bordeaux's sweet white wine production - in-between Cadillac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, and just across the river from the prestigious Sauternes and Barsac sweet wine appellations.
Geographically speaking, Loupiac is a logical part of the Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux appellation, but like Cadillac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, it stands out as an independent appellation because of its capacity to produce sweet wines of high quality. (© Proprietary Content, Wine-Searcher)
The best of Loupiac's wines are made from grapes grown on the slopes above the banks of the Garonne. These slopes are composed of a mixture of clay and limestone, which brings a delicate, mineral character to the wines. Being close to the river is also of great benefit, because it increases the likelihood of the night-time and morning mists which encourage the all-important Botrytis to develop.
Under Loupiac's appellation laws, the grape varieties which may be used are Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle and Sauvignon Gris. The first two varieties are the most commonly used by far. These grapes must be grown in vineyards where the planting density is at least 5,000 plants per hectare (2,024 per acre), and the grapes may only be picked when their must weight reaches specified levels. These are 245 grams per liter for Semillon, and 229 grams per liter for other varieties. This is more stringent than in Sauternes, where the required figure is only 221 grams per liter for all varieties. This leads to a higher level of residual sugar in the finished wines. Chaptalization is permitted in Loupiac, but only to a limited extent, in poor vintages. Chaptalization increases only the potential alcohol content, and not the complexity of the wine, so it is generally a last resort.
As with the other sweet wine appellations, Loupiac's winemakers are increasingly using barrel fermentation and ageing to add complexity in their wines. Oak ageing is common practice in Sauternes, and partly explains the significant cost of producing these wines.
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