Saint-Andelain Pouilly-Fume estate farming around 12 hectares biodynamically since the 1980s, with single-vineyard cuvees from flint (Silex) and clay (Pur Sang) parcels.
Signature wines: dagueneau-silex, dagueneau-pur-sang, dagueneau-buisson-renard
Tip: Silex (flint) and Pur Sang (clay) are the two single-vineyard reference cuvees; Asteroide, from ungrafted vines, is the unicorn.
Address: Rue de la Tuilerie, 58150 Saint-Andelain, France, Loire Valley
Reference Menetou-Salon domaine in Morogues, farming 40 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir on Kimmeridgian limestone, with a Sancerre outpost on terres blanches.
Tasting: Visits and tastings at the Morogues cellar; the family also operates La Closerie de Morogues table d'hote
Signature wines: pelle-clos-des-blanchais, pelle-morogues, pelle-cromois
Tip: Clos des Blanchais is a monopole Menetou-Salon that drinks like a top Sancerre at half the price.
The reference Vouvray producer, 30 hectares of Demeter-biodynamic Chenin Blanc across three lieux-dits (Le Haut-Lieu, Le Mont, Clos du Bourg) in dry, off-dry, sweet and sparkling styles.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings by appointment in central Vouvray
Signature wines: huet-le-mont-sec, huet-le-haut-lieu, huet-clos-du-bourg
Tip: Top Huet moelleux reserve bottlings from great vintages (1947, 1989, 1990) age for half a century. Drink the secs young, hold the moelleux.
Vernou-sur-Brenne estate farming 24 hectares of organic Chenin Blanc, vinified in a 16th-century troglodyte cellar across sec, demi-sec, moelleux and petillant.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment; 16th-century troglodyte cave
Signature wines: careme-vouvray-sec, careme-le-clos, careme-petillant
Tip: Careme's Petillant is a precise traditional-method sparkling Chenin worth chasing down.
Philippe Foreau's 12-hectare Vouvray on the Premiere Cote next door to Huet, with the Goutte d'Or moelleux made only in exceptional vintages.
Tasting: By appointment, Monday-Saturday 9-12, 14-18
Signature wines: foreau-vouvray-sec, foreau-moelleux-reserve, foreau-goutte-dor
Tip: Foreau picks parcel by parcel multiple times each harvest; the Sec is a dry-Chenin masterclass.
Montlouis reference, 45 hectares biodynamic across Montlouis (22 ha) and Vouvray (10 ha), with the Clos Baudoin in Vouvray as the historic monopole.
Tasting: Cellar visits at the domaine; tasting room La Cave Insolite at 30 quai Albert Baillet, Montlouis
Signature wines: chidaine-les-choisilles, chidaine-clos-du-breuil, chidaine-clos-baudoin
Tip: Clos du Breuil is the entry-point dry Montlouis; Clos Baudoin is the Vouvray monopole worth tracking down.
Cravant-les-Coteaux reference, 32 hectares of Cabernet Franc on the three Chinon terroirs (gravel, clay-limestone, tuffeau plateau), each bottled as a single-vineyard.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment at the Cravant-les-Coteaux domaine
Signature wines: baudry-les-grezeaux, baudry-la-croix-boissee, baudry-le-clos-guillot
Tip: La Croix Boissee from the high tuffeau plateau is one of Chinon's most age-worthy reds and the appellation's quiet grand cru.
