Rochefort-sur-Loire family domaine farming key plots in Savennieres (Clos du Papillon) and Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru, with bottlings going back five centuries of family history.
Signature wines: baumard-clos-du-papillon, baumard-quarts-de-chaume, baumard-clos-sainte-catherine
Tip: Quarts de Chaume from Baumard, drunk after 20-30 years, is honey, quince and chalk in a glass.
Address: 8 Rue de l'Abbaye, 49190 Rochefort-sur-Loire, France, Loire Valley
Beaulieu-sur-Layon family estate of 53 hectares across Coteaux du Layon, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru and Savennieres, with the Les Rouannieres moelleux as the flagship.
Tasting: Monday-Saturday 10-12, 14-16:45, closed Sundays
Signature wines: pierre-bise-les-rouannieres, pierre-bise-quarts-de-chaume, pierre-bise-clos-de-coulaine
Tip: Les Rouannieres is the estate's flagship Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu cuvée from the south-facing schist slopes above the Layon tributary.
Chaudefonds-sur-Layon estate centred on the schist-and-volcanic Prince site, with dry Chenin and old-vine Coteaux du Layon plus Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment at the Prince cellar
Signature wines: baudouin-anjou-le-cornillard, baudouin-coteaux-du-layon, baudouin-quarts-de-chaume
Tip: Patrick was one of the first growers to push Anjou's dry Chenin into grand-cru territory; the Le Cornillard parcel is the reference.
Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay five-generation family estate of 25 hectares biodynamic (Biodyvin) and organic (Ecocert), with parcels in Anjou, Coteaux du Layon and Savennieres.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment at the Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay cellar
Signature wines: ogereau-clos-le-grand-beaupreau, ogereau-cote-de-la-houssaye, ogereau-coteaux-du-layon-saint-lambert
Tip: Clos le Grand Beaupreau (Savennieres) and Cote de la Houssaye (Anjou-Villages) are the high-end parcels worth seeking.
Anjou natural-wine cult: four hectares of Chenin Blanc parcels around Martigne-Briand farmed organically and biodynamically, vinified with zero intervention as Vin de France.
Tasting: No public visits. Allocation only.
Signature wines: bernaudeau-les-nourrissons, bernaudeau-les-terres-blanches, bernaudeau-les-ongles
Tip: Stephane trained with Mark Angeli; Les Nourrissons (centenarian Chenin on schist) is the cult bottle.
Savennieres-based estate uniting the historic Chateau de Chamboureau (former Pierre Soulez property) with Anjou holdings under Philippe Fournier, biodynamic and organic across 65 hectares.
Tasting: Visits and tastings at Chateau de Chamboureau by appointment
Signature wines: fl-savennieres-chamboureau, fl-savennieres-le-parc
Tip: Le Parc is the single-vineyard Savennieres; Chamboureau is the historic monopole anchored in the 13th-century chateau.
Beaulieu-sur-Layon family estate of 53 hectares across Coteaux du Layon, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru and Savennieres, with the Les Rouannieres moelleux as the flagship.
Tasting: Monday-Saturday 10-12, 14-16:45, closed Sundays
Signature wines: pierre-bise-les-rouannieres, pierre-bise-quarts-de-chaume, pierre-bise-clos-de-coulaine
Tip: Les Rouannieres is the estate's flagship Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu cuvée from the south-facing schist slopes above the Layon tributary.
Chaudefonds-sur-Layon estate centred on the schist-and-volcanic Prince site, with dry Chenin and old-vine Coteaux du Layon plus Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment at the Prince cellar
Signature wines: baudouin-anjou-le-cornillard, baudouin-coteaux-du-layon, baudouin-quarts-de-chaume
Tip: Patrick was one of the first growers to push Anjou's dry Chenin into grand-cru territory; the Le Cornillard parcel is the reference.
Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay five-generation family estate of 25 hectares biodynamic (Biodyvin) and organic (Ecocert), with parcels in Anjou, Coteaux du Layon and Savennieres.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment at the Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay cellar
Signature wines: ogereau-clos-le-grand-beaupreau, ogereau-cote-de-la-houssaye, ogereau-coteaux-du-layon-saint-lambert
Tip: Clos le Grand Beaupreau (Savennieres) and Cote de la Houssaye (Anjou-Villages) are the high-end parcels worth seeking.
Anjou natural-wine cult: four hectares of Chenin Blanc parcels around Martigne-Briand farmed organically and biodynamically, vinified with zero intervention as Vin de France.
Tasting: No public visits. Allocation only.
Signature wines: bernaudeau-les-nourrissons, bernaudeau-les-terres-blanches, bernaudeau-les-ongles
Tip: Stephane trained with Mark Angeli; Les Nourrissons (centenarian Chenin on schist) is the cult bottle.
Saumur-Champigny's grand cru: the Foucault brothers' 10 hectares of Cabernet Franc and old-vine Chenin at Chace, sold to the Bouygues family in 2017 after eight family generations.
Tasting: No public visits. Wines on strict allocation through importers.
Signature wines: clos-rougeard-le-bourg, clos-rougeard-les-poyeux, clos-rougeard-le-clos
Tip: Le Bourg from old vines is the appellation's reference grand-cru-class bottle; vintages 2005, 2009 and 2010 are the modern benchmarks.
