Still white 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 · 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

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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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.

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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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.

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).