Loire Valley Wine

This rich, sweet, liqueur made from blackcurrants macerated in alcohol originated in Burgundy in the 1840s where it soon found its way into glasses of tart Aligote (a “Kir”) and then frothy Champagne (a “Kir... Read More

Lower ABV Ch Marie du Fou wines showcase the traditions of the Mourat family and the tiny region of Fiefs Vendeens at the end of the Loire River as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. A blend of Pinot Noir, Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon... Read More

Chenin Blanc is the base of many great sweet and off-dry wines, including this one which straddles the line between the two. With time in bottle, it’s showing beautifully with layers of rich pear, spice, sliced almond, and... Read More

Lower ABV From a cellar carved out of Vouvray's soft limestone hills, this is Chenin Blanc at its juiciest, freshest, most yummiest, best. Pretty aromas and flavors of tropical fruits, quince, and plum get lifted by a dusting... Read More

Organic/Bio Claude Lafond more or less revitalized this obscure Loire Valley appellation and now his daughter, Natalie, has put away her tractor and farms organically and plows and sprays with her horse. This single vineyard,... Read More

Lower ABV Fun, delicious, highly drinkable, Sauvignon Blanc with just a bit more going on than the modest price would suggest. You’ll find a big burst of green melon, ripe peach and grapefruit zest aromas and flavors with... Read More

Lower ABV Think of Coteaux du Giennois as the front door to Sancerre (technically the “back door” since it’s down river, but that doesn’t sound nearly as good!). The limestone soils here were given over... Read More

A stylish and focused Sancerre from vines growing in the limestone/gravel soils known as caillottes. After fermentation in tank, the wine ages in large acacia-wood barrels, gaining a bit of richness without wood notes. This feels... Read More

In the deep south of Languedoc, growers discovered that flooding their vineyards for 40 days in spring could kill the phylloxera louse, and that's how Ferrandiere still farms it's own-rooted vines just 12 miles from Carcassonne.... Read More

It’s kind of exciting to taste a Sancerre that tastes just like “Sancerre” – one that isn’t showing the sometimes over-the-top ripeness of recent vintages or the musty dilution of the wet and moldy... Read More

Lower ABV Grolleau Noir is one of the Loire Valley's most widely planted grapes, but it mostly ends up in pink wine, especially Rosé d'Anjou. Here an excellent Saumur producer turns Grolleau into an utterly delicious,... Read More

Lower ABV In the western Loire, Sauvignon sometimes struggles to ripen past its herbal, even bell-peppery, youth. In Cheverny, growers get their Sauvignon ripe AND get to add Chardonnay (15% here) for even more freshness and texture.... Read More

This small (20 acre) family-owned estate makes delicious wines that studies the interaction of Sauvignon Blanc and Sancerre's diverse soils. Here you’ll taste the impact of Sancerre’s famed “terres blanches,”... Read More

Lower ABV A terrific 2024 Sancerre - something we don't often say - in a steely, flinty, style we don't find as often as we'd like. Very firm in texture and with real grip to the white and yellow citrus fruit. Finishes... Read More

Lower ABV Southwest of Sancerre along the river Cher, Quincy's pure limestone soils and warm climate gives Sauvignon Blanc of remarkable richness and delightful fresh minerality. Vincent Siret's Quincy is especially elegant... Read More

From an old Loire Valley wine region that only earned official recognition in 2000, this is 100% Gamay from volcanic soils. With a bit more clay than in the granite soils nearby, these vines develop a darker fruit profile and... Read More

Organic/Bio Francois Chidaine is most famous for his brilliant Chenin Blancs from Montlouis on the north side of the Loire River where he lives and has his winery. He makes equally astonishing wines across the river in Vouvray,... Read More

Organic/Bio If you were a master of Loire Chenin Blanc, maker of wines often allocated, always highly praised, what would you make for a red? Francois Chidaine opted to go the other direction entirely, creating this country red... Read More

Lower ABV Basically a “baby Sancerre”, this exciting young Sauvignon Blanc is grown on the same chalky slate soils you’ll find across Sancerre from 10-40 year-old vines, fermented in stainless steel and allowed... Read More

Lower ABV In the cold, wet, 2024 season it was even harder than usual to work the crazy steep slopes of Monts Damnes – the ‘mountain of the damned’ who had been sentenced to farm Sancerre’s most famous... Read More

Lower ABV Jean-Pierre Vacher, his son Jerome and daughter-in-law, Karine, are making classic, focused, Sancerre that hold on to Sancerre's freshness, especially in cloudy years like 2024. Done all in steel, this delivers fresh... Read More

Lower ABV While the label here features a bowler hat (in French, “Chapeau Melon”), what you’re more likely to be wearing after you try a sip of this is a big ole smile. An almost Gascogne-style white blending... Read More

Lower ABV Beautiful Pinot Noir from pure limestone soils not far from Sancerre. It's full of warm red and black fruit, mainly sweet and sour cherry with a touch of raspberry for complexity. A bit of spice adds complexity to... Read More

Lower ABV Estelle Bidault is part of the new generation of women creating Vouvray's future. The region's base is tuffeau limestone, but here and there pockets of silex take over, giving wines of less fruit and more mineral... Read More

You don't often think of Sauvignon Blanc as silky, but that's what jumps out at you in this delicious Loire Valley white from the still young Chenonceaux section of Touraine. You'll notice white citrus, green peach... Read More