Poultry in Loire Valley

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

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

Alliet's gateway Chinon blends sand-and-gravel terrace parcels for a juicy, mid-weight Cabernet Franc with the house's savoury, Bordeaux-trained signature in early-drinking form.

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 · 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 · Medium tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Savoury

A village-level Chinon from clay-gravel parcels near the church at Sazilly. Mid-weight Cabernet Franc with classical Loire poise: red fruit, mineral grip and a lifted finish.

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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · Easygoing · Refreshing

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

Dry · Medium-bodied · Low tannin · High acidity · Easygoing · Funky

The Bretons' zero-added-sulfite Cabernet Franc, a pioneering natural-wine cuvee since 1996. Vibrant, crunchy red fruit and wild-herb lift, ideally drunk young and slightly chilled.

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 · 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 · 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 · 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.

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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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.

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.