Elegant in Loire Valley

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Amphora-fermented Chenin Blanc from organic schist parcels. Pure expression of terroir without oak influence; tense saline texture and chalky drive.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Anjou Blanc from a tiny 0.8-hectare east-facing schist parcel above the Layon. Vines 50 to 70 years old produce highly mineral, age-worthy dry Chenin.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Pithon-Paillé's flagship dry Anjou Blanc from organically farmed schist parcels. Citrus and stone fruit over chalky depth.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Anjou Blanc from a fractured basalt parcel atop the hillside. Microclimate warmth gives the wine ripe stone fruit; basalt bedrock keeps chalk minerality.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Cabernet Franc from Anjou Noir schist. Bright red fruit, violets and graphite lift over fine tannin and herbal Loire freshness.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Bourgueil from the Beauvais terroir at Benais. Mid-weight, structured Cabernet Franc with mineral spine and a graphite finish, distinct from the limestone-driven Grand Mont.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Dry Chenin Blanc from limestone parcels at Ligre. Orchard fruit, beeswax and a saline length: a rare white expression of Chinon's tuffeau soils.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The Foucault brothers' cult Chenin Blanc from the Breze hillside at Coteaux de Saumur. Dense, mineral and lanolin-textured, with quince and beeswax built for two decades of cellaring.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Langlois's signature Brut Reserve: minimum 58 percent Chenin Blanc, balanced with Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, 10 percent reserve wines, and a minimum 24 months on the lees (double the appellation minimum). Linden blossom and baked pear on the nose, creamy mousse with biscuit and a mineral finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Elegant

Single-vineyard biodynamic Bourgueil from a clay-flint parcel. Mid-weight, dark-fruited Cabernet Franc with iron-mineral grip and a long saline finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Langlois's icon Cremant de Loire. Chenin Blanc-led with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc, fully five years on the lees: dried apricot, toasted brioche and candied lemon, with a long honeyed pear and saline mineral palate.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Dry Chenin Blanc from limestone parcels at Savigny-en-Veron. Quince and honeysuckle on the nose, with the typical Loire Chenin balance of orchard fruit, beeswax and saline mineral length.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The estate's flagship cuvee, drawn from the oldest tuffeau-limestone parcels around the historic cellars. Demeter biodynamic Cabernet Franc with long ageing potential.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard biodynamic Bourgueil from a 4-hectare clay-and-gravel parcel. Darker, more structured than Trinch, with iron-mineral spine and a savoury, tobacco-laced length.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Walled single-vineyard from tuffeau-limestone soils. Thierry Germain's flagship cuvee blends old oak and amphora ageing for a perfumed, mineral Cabernet Franc with serious cellar potential.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The walled clos opposite Chinon's chateau, owned by Couly-Dutheil since 1921. Tuffeau-limestone terroir gives cassis, cedar and a chalky mineral length in the estate's flagship Chinon.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The Joguet flagship from an old-vines clay-limestone clos planted in 1953. Powerful, structured Cabernet Franc with cedar, graphite and a leathery, slowly-evolving finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

South-facing limestone clos above Chinon town, with vines planted in the 1970s. More vertical and stony than Dioterie, with dark-blue fruit and a chalky, mineral length.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cot (the Loire's name for Malbec) from ungrafted pre-phylloxera-style vines on sand soils. Dark-fruited, structured Touraine Cot with iron-mineral grip distinct from Cahors.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

South-facing tuffeau-limestone parcel above the Vienne. Alliet's most structured cuvee: cassis, cedar and a chalky mineral grip in the Left-Bank-influenced house style.

Sweet · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Botrytised sweet Chenin Blanc from a south-facing tuffeau parcel. The estate's rare dessert cuvee: candied apricot, honey and saffron over a saline mineral spine, built for decades.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Coteaux du Layon from Baumard's Clos Sainte Catherine. Late-harvest Chenin with honey, peach and chalky lift, the Baumard's most approachable sweet wine.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Botrytis Chenin Blanc from schist parcels above the Layon. Honey, apricot and preserved citrus over Anjou Noir schist's mineral spine.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Ogereau's flagship Coteaux du Layon Saint-Lambert from Clos des Bonnes Blanches. Botrytis Chenin Blanc with honey, apricot and saffron over chalky depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Nicolas Joly's 7-hectare biodynamic monopole AOC on schist over the Loire. quince, honey and waxy texture over an electric mineral spine.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Fruity

Thierry Germain's village-level Saumur-Champigny under Demeter biodynamic farming. Bright, lifted Cabernet Franc with violet and red plum over a saline mineral spine.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Elegant

Single-soil Muscadet from orthogneiss parcels. Adds herbal aromas layered with more minerality and bitterness in the finish, distinct from the simpler Gneiss bottling.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Bottled from ungrafted Cabernet Franc planted on sand soils. Lighter-footed and more aromatic than the limestone cuvees, with rose and wild raspberry over a fine-grained mineral spine.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Single-vineyard Bourgueil from the Grand Mont tuffeau-limestone slope at Bourgueil town. Pierre-Jacques Druet's structured, age-worthy Cabernet Franc with cassis and chalk.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Savoury

Single-soil Muscadet from granite parcel in Le Landreau. Markedly different from gneiss bottlings, with subtle mint and salty mineral aromas.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Dry Saumur Chenin Blanc from old-vine tuffeau parcels. Thierry Germain's Demeter biodynamic white shows orchard fruit, beeswax and saline length.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

A mid-tier Chinon between Rene Couly and Clos de l'Echo. Mid-weight, structured Cabernet Franc from clay-limestone parcels near Chinon town.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Limestone-grown Cabernet Franc from the highest, latest-ripening parcel at Cravant. Denser, more vertical and slower-developing than Les Grezeaux, with chalky minerality and high-toned cassis fruit.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Single-vineyard Bourgueil from a tuffeau-limestone parcel at Benais. Yannick and Benoit Amirault's structured, age-worthy Cabernet Franc with cassis and graphite.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The Foucault brothers' cult cuvee, born from a single tuffeau-limestone parcel at Chace. Dense, perfumed Cabernet Franc with cedar, graphite and a chalky, mineral length that defines what Saumur-Champigny can be.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

The estate's village-level cuvee, blending parcels around the cellars at Chace. More accessible than Le Bourg and Les Poyeux but with the Clos Rougeard signature: fine tannin, mineral length, and a perfumed lift.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

South-facing clay-limestone clos planted in 1989 just below the La Croix Boissee parcel. More aromatic and floral than its sibling, with red-plum fruit, fine-grained tannins and a saline length.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Elegant

Bourgueil from a walled gravel-and-tuffeau clos around the estate. Mid-weight, structured Cabernet Franc with classic Loire savoury depth and a fine mineral spine.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Cabernet Franc from clay-flint soils above the Vienne. Sappy cassis-and-graphite fruit framed by fine-grained tannins, named for the small dog-shaped rocks that flank the parcel.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Saumur-Champigny from a tuffeau-limestone parcel at Dampierre-sur-Loire. The Vatan family's structured Cabernet Franc with cassis, graphite and saline length.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Bourgueil from gravel-on-clay terroir. The Caslot family's Demeter-certified biodynamic style: poised, mineral Cabernet Franc with red fruit and graphite.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Elegant

The Baudry single-vineyard on gravel-over-clay terraces above the Vienne, picked from vines planted between 1969 and 1980. Mineral, dark-fruited Cabernet Franc with savoury depth and an iron-tinged finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil from gravel-over-tuffeau soils. More structured than La Source, with iron-mineral spine and a savoury, tobacco-laced length.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Cult Anjou Chenin from a 0.7-hectare parcel of centenarian vines planted 1910 on chalky-clay plateau. A few thousand bottles a year of cellar-worthy dry Chenin Blanc, virtually impossible to find.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cult Anjou Chenin from 2 hectares of 30-year-old vines on schist and limestone. Delicate white fruit, clean mineral attack and pure gourmet fruit with saline chewiness.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Old-vine biodynamic Bourgueil from a tuffeau-limestone parcel. The Bretons' flagship: cassis, chalk and graphite Cabernet Franc with serious cellar potential.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Cult Saumur-Champigny from the Les Poyeux climat. More aromatic and slightly lighter-footed than Le Bourg, with dark cherry, tobacco and a long, fine-tannin mineral length.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cult Anjou Chenin from a 0.45-hectare parcel of 80-year-old vines on light limestone upstream of the Layon. The most lifted of Bernaudeau's three bottlings.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Gravel-terrace single vineyard along the Vienne, picked from vines averaging 50 years. Bright, lifted Cabernet Franc with rose, raspberry and pebble-mineral minerality.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The estate's flagship single-vineyard cuvee, named for Philippe Vatan's daughters Lise and Agathe. Tuffeau-limestone Cabernet Franc with cedar, chalk and a savoury, espresso-tinged finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Festive

Ackerman's iconic Cremant de Loire, named for the son of founder Jean-Baptiste Ackerman. Chenin, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc each vinified separately, blended for harmony: ripe white and red fruit, brioche and dried fruit length, with a delicately spiced white-pepper finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Old-vine Cabernet Franc from clay-limestone parcels. The estate's structured mid-range cuvee, sitting between Cuvee Domaine and Clos de l'Echelier in profile.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Easygoing

Pelle's flagship Menetou-Salon Rouge from Kimmeridgian limestone. Pure red cherry and rose petal over silky Pinot Noir with the cool freshness of the central Loire.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from Kimmeridgian limestone in Morogues. Chalky depth more often associated with Sancerre proper, at Menetou-Salon prices.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Single-parcel Montlouis with a more mineral-driven, steely profile than Chidaine's blended cuvées. The clos's clay-and-flint terroir gives strict cut.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Chidaine's flagship Montlouis blend across multiple plots. Dry and mineral with good clarity of fruit and a long, chalky finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Savoury

Single-soil Muscadet from amphibolite, a metamorphic rock. The cuvée expresses the smoky, stony mineral signature of this distinct geology, biodynamic certified.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Cru Communal Muscadet from 60-year-old vines on gravel, clay, sand and granite. Originally called Granite de Clisson; 24+ months on lees give the cuvée structural depth.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Savoury

Cru Communal Muscadet from gabbro, a decomposed blue-green igneous rock unique to Gorges. Smoky, structured and intensely mineral, age-worthy beyond a decade.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Savoury

Cru Communal Muscadet from gabbro, the decomposed blue-green igneous rock unique to Gorges. 70-year-old vines and long lees ageing produce incredible texture and tension.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Savoury

Pioneering single-vineyard Muscadet from granite parcels. An early site-specific Muscadet bottling, established in the 1970s; ages beautifully on lees.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Landron's flagship single-vineyard Muscadet from orthogneiss and quartz parcels. Iconic cuvée from the region with long lees ageing and biodynamic depth.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Savoury

Old-vine Muscadet from the historic Pierre de la Grange domain, the original Luneau family property. Saline texture and stony lift on a creamy lees-driven frame.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Savoury

Brégeon's village Muscadet Sur Lie shows the producer's signature long-lees ageing. Saline and structural with stony lift and great length.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Old-vine Cabernet Franc from tuffeau limestone parcels at Ligre. Denser and more vertical than Les Chiens-Chiens, with dark berry fruit and a chalky, mineral spine.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Buisson Renard (formerly Buisson Ménard) is the broader, more exotic side of Dagueneau. Yellow plum and exotic spice over a full, ripe-fruited Sauvignon frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Pur Sang, established 1988, sits at the heart of Dagueneau's range. Citrus, saline mineral and flint smoke from a Kimmeridgian-clay terroir.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Pouilly-Fumé from Saint-Andelain flint terroir. Didier Dagueneau's flagship cuvée since 1990; pure pierre à fusil signature on a powerful, age-worthy frame.

Dry · Full-bodied · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Bottled from pre-phylloxera ungrafted Romorantin vines planted in 1850. The world reference for this rare Touraine grape, with quince, beeswax and saline length built for ageing.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Botrytis-affected Chenin Blanc from Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru AOC. Honey, apricot and preserved citrus on a multi-decade-cellar frame, the Baumard's flagship dessert wine.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Botrytis-affected Chenin Blanc from Pierre-Bise's Quarts de Chaume parcels. Honey, apricot and saffron over a multi-decade-cellar frame.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Patrick Baudouin's botrytis Chenin Blanc from Quarts de Chaume schist. Intense honey and apricot over Anjou Noir schist's mineral spine; multi-decade-cellar.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Festive

Ackerman's Chardonnay-led Cremant de Loire Royal. 36 months on the lees lend tertiary dried-fruit and almond notes, balanced by zesty lemon and a buttery, biscuity Chardonnay character with a long, dry finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Biodynamic blend across Vacheron's 48 hectares on Oxfordian limestone and silex. Pure Sauvignon Blanc with crystalline citrus, saline drive and a chalky finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Single-parcel silex Sauvignon from vines planted 1970. Crystalline citrus and grapefruit on a tense, intensely mineral frame; ages on the cellar floor for over a decade.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Top-of-La-Moussière Pinot Noir from Buzançais limestone. Mellot's most Burgundian-styled red, with the structure to rival Génération XIX in cellaring capacity.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Old-vine cuvée from a single hectare of La Moussière planted in the 1930s. Beautiful freshness, distinctive floral notes and chalky minerality from biodynamic farming.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Pinard's barrel-fermented old-vine selection. Ripe peach and honeysuckle over a creamy, vanilla-toned palate that still retains Sancerre's chalky drive.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Sauvignon Blanc from the famed Monts Damnés slope in Chavignol on Kimmeridgian marl. Tense citrus and white peach lifted by a smoky, chalky finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Cotat's southern Chavignol parcel: laser-like Kimmeridgian minerality, vibrant salinity and yellow fruits that evolve toward honey and rock with bottle age.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Pascal Cotat's south-facing Grande Côte sits on almost pure chalk, the same vein that runs through Chablis. Energy, precision and verve.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Mellot's flagship Sancerre cuvée from a single 34-hectare vineyard south of the village. Biodynamic Saint-Doulchard marl Sauvignon with chalk minerality and lees texture.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Single-vineyard Sancerre from the historic Le Chêne Marchand lieu-dit in Bué. Crystalline citrus and stony mineral on chalky Caillottes terroir.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Sourced from terres blanches plots in Sury-en-Vaux, Boucauds shows the marl-and-clay-over-Kimmeridgian face of the appellation. Stéphane Riffault's signature cuvée.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Sancerre from calcaire lité (layered limestone) parcels. Riffault describes the cuvée as 'fruit in its finest finesse', balanced by demi-muid lees ageing.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The most overtly mineral of Cotat's three single-vineyard bottlings, from a steep 0.7 hectare Chavignol parcel of fossilised pebbles. Rewards 15 years for creamy, saline depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Cooler-facing Chavignol parcel where Sauvignon picks up white-fruit chill and stony persistence. The most lifted of Pascal Cotat's single-vineyard whites.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Elegant

Old-vine Sauvignon Blanc from flint-rich soils. The flint signature gives a smoky lift uncommon in Sancerre, balanced by Riffault's lees-driven texture.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Cult Sancerre from the steep Monts Damnés slope in Chavignol. Smoky, strict and chiseled, with deep minerality from Kimmeridgian marl over white Portlandian limestone.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Pascal Cotat's Monts Damnés sits across the family line from his cousin François. From 45-year-old vines on pure limestone, the wine is hand-harvested and barrel-fermented for ageability.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Pinard's terroir blend across 40-year-old Caillottes vines in Bué. Lees creaminess and chalky minerality from a third-each tank, old barrique and demi-muid raising.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Pinot Noir from 50-year-old vines on pure silex. Burgundian in feel: macerated cherry and chestnut mushroom over cool, silken tannin and a smoky finish.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Pinard's flagship Sancerre Rouge from limestone-clay terroir in Bué. A brooding nose of pure red cherry fruit with chalky tannins and integrated oak.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Easygoing

Joseph Mellot's flagship Sancerre Rouge from limestone-clay parcels. Pure red fruit on silky Pinot Noir with the cool freshness of the central Loire.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Easygoing

Sancerre Rouge from limestone-clay parcels across the Bourgeois estate. Vibrant red cherry and rose petal over silken tannin and savoury herb.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Unfiltered, wild-yeast cuvée from 2 hectares of old-vine organic Sauvignon on pure limestone in Champtin and Bué. Pure expression of Caillottes terroir.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Bourgeois' barrel-aged Sauvignon cuvée named for the founder. Ripe yellow fruits, honeysuckle and toasted hazelnut over a creamy, lees-driven palate that still retains Sancerre's acidity.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

The Bouvet flagship Saumur Brut: Chenin Blanc led with a touch of Chardonnay, 18 months on the lees in tuffeau cellars. Pale gold with hints of amber, white-flower and honeyed fruit aromas, brisk red-apple and biscuit on the palate.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-parcel Savennières from a historic site near the Château de Chamboureau. Citrus and stone fruit over chalky mineral, biodynamic since 2009.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Savennières from Clos de Coulaine, integrated into Pierre-Bise in 1992. Bright citrus and white peach over a chalky frame, organic.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Single-vineyard Savennières from a butterfly-shaped parcel of schist with volcanic-rock pockets. Taut and chalky young; softens into honey and waxy texture with a decade.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Savennières from schist and eolian sand on the summit of the Epiré hill within the AOC. Slow indigenous-yeast ferments and 18 months of barrel-and-foudre raise.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Single-vineyard Savennières from Le Clos du Parc, a walled plot on schist. Riper face of FL's Savennières range, with stone-fruit depth and chalky lift.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Joly's entry-level Savennières from biodynamic schist parcels. Citrus and chamomile lift over chalky mineral with the estate's signature waxy depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Joly's Roche aux Moines bottling on schist. Citrus, quince and honey over a chalky, saline frame; smaller-scale than Coulée de Serrant but with the same biodynamic intensity.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

The Bouvet prestige Saumur Brut and the house's early oak-fermented cuvee. Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay vinified in French oak barrels, then a minimum 24 months on the lees: brioche, cream, lemon peel and roasted peach with a long, mineral finish.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

The estate's library-aged flagship from old-vine tuffeau-limestone parcels. Released only after extended cellaring, with cedar, chalk and a savoury, espresso-tinged length.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Bordeaux-trained Philippe Alliet's old-vine Chinon, picked from gravel terraces along the Vienne. Mid-weight, structured Cabernet Franc with dark fruit and iron-mineral spine.

Dry · Medium-bodied · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Sauvignon Blanc from ungrafted pre-phylloxera-style vines, planted on sand soils that escaped the root louse. Denser, more textured and longer than typical Touraine Sauvignon.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Single-vineyard Vouvray Sec from Huet's Le Haut-Lieu tuffeau-limestone parcel (Demeter-certified biodynamic since 1990). Luminous, lively Chenin Blanc with multi-decade cellaring potential.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Old-vine Chenin from a single clay-limestone parcel. Fresh and bright with lively persistent acidity; barrel and foudre raise give the wine textural complexity.

Sweet · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Botrytis-affected Chenin Blanc from Clos du Bourg in late-harvest conditions. Honey, apricot and preserved citrus over the cuvée's signature chalky acidity.

Dessert · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Foreau's most rarefied Moelleux. Produced only five times in the domaine's century-long history (1947, 1990, 2011, 2015, 2020).

Sweet · Full-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Botrytis-affected late-harvest Chenin Blanc from Foreau's tuffeau-limestone parcels in Vouvray. Bottled only a few times per decade, with documented multi-decade cellaring potential.

Dry · Light-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Festive

Brut Nature sparkling Vouvray from organic Chenin Blanc on clay-limestone and clay with silex. Expressive nose with subtle roasted-almond aromas and great freshness.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Elegant

Carême's flagship Vouvray Sec from organic Chenin Blanc on clay-limestone. Bright, lively acidity and chalky mineral lift.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Third-generation Foreau's flagship dry Vouvray from south-facing parcels on tuffeau limestone. Crystalline citrus and chalk minerality with long cellaring.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Walled-vineyard Chenin on shallow limestone-clay. Combines mineral cut with generous texture, the most powerful of Huet's three Sec wines.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Refreshing

Le Haut-Lieu is the original 9-hectare Huet vineyard on deep clay over limestone. Approachable young yet capable of long ageing.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Elegant · Contemplative

Le Mont's flint-rich hillsides produce a tight, mineral Chenin Blanc. Electric salinity and tense citrus on a multi-decade-cellar frame (drinking window 5 to 30 from vintage).