2 natural spots in Loire Valley, editor-picked by Cork & Curve. All dietary guides in Loire Valley.
Ferme de la Sansonniere (Marc Angeli) ★ 4.7
Coteaux du Layon / Bonnezeaux · La Sansonniere, 49380 Thouarce, France
Marc Angeli at Ferme de la Sansonniere works Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc with biodynamic farming and a zero-additions cellar protocol (no sulphur added, native-yeast fermentations). The estate has been listed in the Raisin natural-wine guide since the guide's inception and exports through Berry Bros and Rudd.
Tip: Sansonniere wines move through specialist natural-wine cavistes (La Cave des Papilles in Paris). Direct allocations from the estate are by personal relationship; the production is small.
Olivier Cousin ★ 4.6
Anjou / Vin de France · 5 Le Cossage, 49380 Martigne-Briand, France
Olivier Cousin works his Martigne-Briand Cabernet Franc and Grolleau vineyards with horse-drawn ploughs, ferments without additions and bottles without sulphur. After the 2010 INAO court case in which he refused the Vin de France label for his de-classified Anjou Cabernet Franc, Cousin became a reference figure in French natural-wine circles (covered in Le Monde, La Revue du Vin de France).
Tip: Cousin's wines are mainly distributed through specialist cavistes worldwide. Cellar visits are unpredictable; direct email contact for an appointment is the only realistic route.