Bue-based Sancerre estate of 17 hectares, organically certified and farming biodynamically, known for layered cuvees such as Nuance, Harmonie and the Charlouise Pinot Noir.
Signature wines: Sancerre Nuance, Sancerre Harmonie, Sancerre Rouge Charlouise
Tip: The Charlouise Pinot Noir, from a single old-vine parcel, is one of Sancerre's most age-worthy reds.
Address: 42 Rue Saint-Vincent, 18300 Bue, France, Loire Valley
Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume estate of 120 hectares between the two appellations, with a 60-hectare Touraine outpost, certified organic and known for the Le Chene Marchand single-vineyard.
Tasting: Visits and tastings on appointment at the Route de Chavignol cellar
Signature wines: Sancerre Les Caillottes, Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre Le Chêne Marchand
Tip: Le Chene Marchand from Bue is the appellation's signature caillottes site; Jolivet farms a key plot here.
Sury-en-Vaux family domaine farmed biodynamically by Stephane Riffault, with cuvees parcel-bottled across Sancerre's three soil types (caillottes, terres blanches, silex).
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment in Sury-en-Vaux
Signature wines: Sancerre Les Boucauds, Sancerre Les Chasseignes, Sancerre Les Denisottes
Tip: Stephane bottles parcel by parcel: Les Boucauds (terres blanches), Les Chasseignes (caillottes), Les Denisottes (silex) is the trio to taste.
Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume estate of 120 hectares between the two appellations, with a 60-hectare Touraine outpost, certified organic and known for the Le Chene Marchand single-vineyard.
Tasting: Visits and tastings on appointment at the Route de Chavignol cellar
Signature wines: Sancerre Les Caillottes, Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre Le Chêne Marchand
Tip: Le Chene Marchand from Bue is the appellation's signature caillottes site; Jolivet farms a key plot here.
Sury-en-Vaux family domaine farmed biodynamically by Stephane Riffault, with cuvees parcel-bottled across Sancerre's three soil types (caillottes, terres blanches, silex).
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment in Sury-en-Vaux
Signature wines: Sancerre Les Boucauds, Sancerre Les Chasseignes, Sancerre Les Denisottes
Tip: Stephane bottles parcel by parcel: Les Boucauds (terres blanches), Les Chasseignes (caillottes), Les Denisottes (silex) is the trio to taste.
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.
Tasting: No regular public visits. Allocation only.
Signature wines: Pouilly-Fumé Silex, Pouilly-Fumé Pur Sang, Pouilly-Fumé Buisson Renard
Tip: Silex (flint) and Pur Sang (clay) are the two single-vineyard reference cuvees; Asteroide, from ungrafted vines, is the unicorn.
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: Menetou-Salon Morogues Les Blanchais, Menetou-Salon Morogues, Menetou-Salon Morogues Le 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: Vouvray Sec Le Mont, Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu, Vouvray Sec 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: Vouvray Sec, Vouvray Le Clos, Vouvray Pétillant Brut Nature
Tip: Careme's Petillant is a precise traditional-method sparkling Chenin worth chasing down.
In a fun and educational way, travel this part of the Loire Valley, which could well be the cradle of Sauvignon in France... Why has this grape earned its reputation t...
Enjoy the Sancerre & Pouilly Fumé wine region with a private driver. Discover the local Sauvignon Blanc grapes where the white wines of the region tend to be structure...
3-day Private tour to Top 7 Loire Valley Castles with 2 Wine tastings. Chenonceau, Amboise, Chambord, Blois, Chaumont, Da Vinci Clos Luce, Villandry by Mercedes. Live ...
Wine tastings and winery visits in Loire Valley (22) · Wine tours and day trips in Loire Valley (35) · Wine tours by bike in Loire Valley (5)
