Vegetable-forward in Loire Valley

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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · Easygoing · Refreshing

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

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 · 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 · 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 · 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.