La Haye-Fouassiere estate uniting Domaine de la Louvetrie, Les Grands Houx and Chateau de la Carizere over 46 hectares, organic since 2000 and biodynamic.
Signature wines: landron-amphibolite, landron-le-fief-du-breil, landron-clos-la-carizere
Tip: Amphibolite is the entry-point soil-cuvee; Le Fief du Breil is the long-aging old-vine flagship.
Address: Les Brandieres, 44690 La Haye-Fouassiere, France, Loire Valley
Gorges-based domaine taken over in 2011 by Fred Lailler from the retiring Michel Bregeon, with the Gorges Cru Communal aged 28 months on lees in underground glass-lined vats.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment in Gorges
Signature wines: bregeon-gorges, bregeon-muscadet-sur-lie
Tip: The Gorges Cru, from gabbro and amphibolite soils, is among Muscadet's most age-worthy bottlings.
Gorges-based domaine taken over in 2011 by Fred Lailler from the retiring Michel Bregeon, with the Gorges Cru Communal aged 28 months on lees in underground glass-lined vats.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment in Gorges
Signature wines: bregeon-gorges, bregeon-muscadet-sur-lie
Tip: The Gorges Cru, from gabbro and amphibolite soils, is among Muscadet's most age-worthy bottlings.
Centre-Loire negociant-domaine with 100 hectares spanning all eight Central Loire AOCs, including sub-domaines in Quincy, Reuilly, Pouilly-Fume and Chateaumeillant.
Tasting: Visits and tastings at the Sancerre cellar, including museum of family history
Signature wines: joseph-mellot-la-chatellenie, joseph-mellot-le-rabault, joseph-mellot-le-troncsec
Tip: Their portfolio is the most efficient way to taste all eight Central Loire appellations in one cellar visit.
Chinon's largest family-owned domaine, 90 hectares including the historic Clos de l'Echo (a Rabelais-era walled vineyard) directly opposite the town's medieval fortress.
Tasting: Visits and tastings at the Chinon town cellar; underground caves dug into tuffeau
Signature wines: couly-dutheil-clos-de-l-echo, couly-dutheil-crescendo, couly-dutheil-rene-couly
Tip: The Clos de l'Echo monopole is the historic flagship; ask about the Rabelais connection on the cellar tour.
Reference Bourgueil grower founded by Pierre-Jacques Druet in 1980, with parcel-bottled cuvees from Grand Mont, Beauvais and Vaumoreau aged in demi-muids for 24+ months.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment at the Benais cellar
Signature wines: druet-grand-mont, druet-beauvais, druet-vaumoreau
Tip: Druet wines need cellar age: Grand Mont after 10 years is one of the Loire's quiet old-bottle bargains.
Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay estate of 13 hectares plus negociant activity, organically farmed Chenin Blanc across Anjou, Savennieres, Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment at the Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay cellar
Signature wines: pithon-paille-clos-des-bonnes-blanches, pithon-paille-mozaik, pithon-paille-amphite
Tip: Clos des Bonnes Blanches from old-vine Chenin in Saint-Lambert is the Coteaux du Layon flagship.
Monmousseau-owned Saumur sparkling house founded in 1851. Kilometres of tuffeau caves at Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent host the Saphir and Tresor cuvees.
Tasting: Year-round guided cellar visits and tastings in the kilometres of tuffeau caves carved into the cliff at Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent
Signature wines: bouvet-saphir, bouvet-tresor-blanc, bouvet-excellence-brut-rose
Tip: Saphir is the gateway Saumur Brut; Tresor Blanc is the barrel-fermented prestige cuvee with at least 24 months on the lees.
