Summer drinking in Loire Valley

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 · 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 · 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 · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Fruity

The estate's gateway Bourgueil from sand-and-gravel terraces. Bright, juicy Cabernet Franc with red plum and herbal lift, ready in its first decade.

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 · 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 · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Fruity

Joguet's gateway Chinon from sand-and-gravel terraces. Bright, juicy and herbal Cabernet Franc to drink in its first few years, lightly chilled.

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

The estate's gravel-terrace blend and gateway to Bernard Baudry's house style: bright raspberry and violet over a fine-grained Cabernet Franc backbone, ready to drink in its first few years.

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 · 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 · 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 · Medium tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Fruity

The estate's gateway Chinon, blending sand-and-gravel terrace parcels for a mid-weight, juicy Cabernet Franc with classical Loire poise and a mineral finish.

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

The estate's Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil cuvee from sand-and-gravel terraces. Bright, juicy Cabernet Franc with classic Loire poise and a saline finish.

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

Sand-and-gravel terrace Cabernet Franc from the river terraces around Savigny-en-Veron. Bright, light-footed and tank-aged for early drinking, lightly chilled.

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 · Easygoing · Refreshing

Easygoing Anjou Cabernet Franc from organic schist parcels. A concentrate of elegance and tension; accessible and easy-to-drink.

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 · Medium tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Fruity

The estate's gateway Bourgueil, blending sand-and-gravel terrace parcels for a juicy, biodynamic Cabernet Franc to drink in its first decade.

Dry · Light-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Fruity

The Marionnets' nouveau-style Gamay, fermented without added sulfites and bottled within months of harvest. Vivid, crunchy red fruit and a saline finish, meant to drink chilled in its first year.

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

Named for Rene Couly, who founded the firm in 1921. The estate's gateway Chinon: juicy, fresh Cabernet Franc from sand-and-gravel parcels, vinified for early drinking.

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 · 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 · Easygoing · Fruity

The Bretons' natural-leaning gateway Bourgueil. Crunchy, juicy and low-sulfite Cabernet Franc, picked from younger gravel-terrace parcels and vinified for early drinking.

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

The estate's gateway Saumur-Champigny, named for the tuffeau stone that defines the appellation. Mid-weight, juicy Cabernet Franc from sand-and-gravel parcels, vinified for early drinking.

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 · 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.