Aperitivo 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 · 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 · High acidity · Refreshing · Fruity

Langlois's Cabernet Franc-dominant Cremant de Loire rose. Over 60 percent of the blend comes from clay-limestone terroirs of Montreuil-Bellay and Le Puy Notre-Dame, with 18 months on the lees: pale pink with copper notes, red berry and peach aromatics, fresh and easy on the palate.

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

Ackerman's value Cremant de Loire blanc. Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc vinified in stainless steel and aged 12 to 16 months on the lees: yellow peach and white-flower aromas, lively attack, suave mid-palate, slightly tart finish.

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

The Bretons' pet-nat Vouvray, made in the ancestral method with no dosage. Saline, citrussy Chenin Blanc with a fine bead and a dry, refreshing finish.

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

Saigne-method Cabernet Franc Cremant de Loire. Intense pink-salmon hue, wild strawberry and ripe peach aromas, a broad and gently tannic palate with a soft mousse.

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 · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Easygoing

Most forward of l'Écu's terroir Muscadets, with citrus and almond aromas. Gneiss soils produce the estate's most approachable bottling.

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 · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Easygoing

Pelle's flagship village Menetou-Salon from Kimmeridgian limestone. Crisp, citrus-driven Sauvignon with chalky lift and excellent value.

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 · 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 · Refreshing · Savoury

Single-vineyard Muscadet from a 2.3-hectare monopole on schist and mica schist. Straight and taut with beautiful minerality and great length on the finish.

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

Single-vineyard Muscadet from orthogneiss and quartz, alongside Le Fief du Breil in Landron's range. Stony finish and creamy lees depth on a chalky frame.

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 · Light-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Refreshing · Easygoing

Pépière's entry-level Muscadet from Château-Thébaud-area parcels. Crisp, citrus-driven and saline, designed for early drinking and shellfish.

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

Jolivet's Pouilly-Fumé from flint and Kimmeridgian marl across the river from Sancerre. Smoky pierre à fusil signature on a citrus-driven, saline Sauvignon.

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

Bourgeois' Pouilly-Fumé from travertine soils across the river from Sancerre. Smoky flint signature on a citrus-driven, saline Sauvignon.

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

Joseph Mellot's flagship Pouilly-Fumé from flint and travertine soils. Smoky pierre à fusil signature on a citrus-driven, saline Sauvignon.

Dry · Light-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Easygoing

Direct-press Cabernet Franc rose from the estate's clay-and-gravel terraces. Pale salmon in colour, savoury and mineral rather than fruit-forward, finishing dry and saline.

Dry · Light-bodied · High acidity · Refreshing · Easygoing

Saigne-method Cabernet Franc rose. Pale salmon, savoury and mineral rather than candied, finishing dry and saline.

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 · Refreshing · Easygoing

Joseph Mellot's flagship Sancerre Blanc from Caillottes and terres blanches parcels. Cool, citrus-driven Sauvignon with chalky lift.

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 · 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 · 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 · Refreshing · Easygoing

Pascal Jolivet's flagship Sancerre Les Caillottes is sourced from chalky limestone (Caillottes) parcels. Cool, citrus-driven and chalky in classic Sancerre style.

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

Méthode ancestrale Chenin Blanc from all three Huet crus. A gently sparkling, soft-fizz Vouvray with chalky drive and notable cellaring capacity.

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.