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France

Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is scattered over 175,000 acres stretching from the Atlantic Ocean across to central France.

Covering such a large region it is natural that it’s been broken down into sub-regions that specialise in the growing of specific varieties.

Whites

The 3 main varietals are Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.

Other varietals include Folle Blanche, Chardonnay, Chasselas, Romorantin Sauvignon Gris and Tressalier.

These are made into dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling wines, mostly single varietal.

Melon de Bourgogne

Native to: Burgundy (Bourgogne). Introduced by monks in the 17th century.

Principal AOCs: Muscadet, Muscadet-Coteaux-de-la-Loire, Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine, Muscadet Côtes-de-Grandlieu. Muscadets Crus Communaux: Gorges, Clisson, Le Pallet, Loire Valley PGI

Chenin, also known as: Pineau de Loire

Native to: The Loire Valley. Around the 10th century, this variety was known as “Plant d’Anjou.” The current name was popularised by Rabelais in the 15th century.

Principal AOCs: Anjou-Blanc, Bonnezeaux, Quarts-de-Chaume-Grand-Cru, Coteaux-du-Layon, Coteaux-Du-Layon-Premier-Cru-Chaume, Savennières, Savennières-Roche-Aux-Moines, Coteaux-de-l’Aubance, Anjou-Coteaux-de-La-Loire, Coteaux-de-Saumur, Crémant-de-Loire, Saumur-Blanc, Saumur-Brut, Touraine, Touraine-Amboise, Touraine-Mesland, Chinon, Jasnières, Coteaux-du-Loir, Vouvray,  coteaux-du-vendômois, Loire Valley PGI

Sauvignon Blanc

Native to: Loire Valley

Principal AOCs: Perhaps the most famous AOCs are Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre. Other AOC’s producing Sauvignon Blanc include Touraine, Touraine-Mesland, Touraine-Oisly, Touraine-Chenonceaux, Haut-Poitou, Loire Valey PGI, Quincy and Reuilly.

Reds

The 3 main varietals are Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Pinot Noir.

Other varietals include : Grolleau, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pineau d’Aunis, Côt and Négrette.

Used to make reds, rosés and sparkling wines, mostly as single varietals.

Cabernet Franc , also known as: Breton

Native to: the Nantes region, but thought to come from the Basque Country in Spain. It is the Loire region’s chief red varietal, introduced in the 11th century.

Principal AOCs: Anjou-Rouge, Anjou-Villages, Anjou-Villages-Brissac, Cabernet-d’Anjou, Cabernet-de-Saumur, Rosé-d’Anjou, Rosé-de-Loire, Crémant-de-Loire, Saumur-Rouge, Saumur-Champigny, Saumur-Puy-Notre-Dame, Saumur-Brut, Touraine, Touraine-Amboise, Touraine-Chenonceaux, Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau, Touraine-Mesland, Coteaux-du-Loir, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Chinon, haut-poitou, Loire Valley PGI

Gamay

Native to: The Centre-East region of France.

Principal AOCs: Anjou-Gamay, Rosé-de-Loire, Rosé-d’Anjou, Touraine, Touraine-Azay-Le-Rideau, Touraine-Mesland, Coteaux-du-Loir, Loire Valley PGI

Pinot Noir

Native to: Burgundy.

Principal AOCs: Touraine, Touraine-Noble-Joué, Loire Valley PGI

Domaine Arnaud Lambert

Domaine Arnaud Lambert Samur Brézé 'Clos David' 2021
Serious Chenin here. A big jump from the Midi. Lambert appears to be working with a little more phenolic extract adding a playful grip and cleansing astringency. Very complete and flowing. David’s extra time in old oak and a 2nd winter in tank give it harmony and refinement, flowing with a real step up in sophistication.Super zippy, mineral acid with the core of fruit to support it. Building generosity and freshness in the glass on a fine crisp acidity. Heading more strongly down the quinc
$111
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Domaine du Closel

Domaine du Closel Savennières 'La Jalousie' Chenin Blanc 2020
A delicious Jalouise. Quince and Fejoa with a little baking spice. Building in depth with decent length in the glass. Textural phenolics play nicely with chalky acid complexed by hazelnut and crème pat from lees. Vivacious and refreshing. It’ll be lovely to see this fill out with a little more bottle age. Lemon oil and zest at play. Let it warm a little. The perfect intro to the fresher styles of Savennières. It will offer load more with time in bottle!
$94
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Domaine du Closel Savennières 'Le Clos du Papillon' Chenin Blanc 2020
A complex, textural and thrilling Chenin Blanc. Two parcels, one picked earlier and devoid of botrytis, one later with a little botrytis marry seamlessly presenting us with an entrancing creature. Dry Chenin of this standing is truly something special.There’s a certain composure and harmony here. A fine example, the textural elements show a leaning to less alcohol and higher perceived acidity than its sibling ‘La Caillardières’ adding a degree of restraint and sophistication to thi
$145
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Domaine Roche Neuves

The White

Domaine des Roches Neuves Samur Blanc 'l'Insolite' 2021
Pretty, fine, long, textured & rich. Quince fruit with lovely caressing phenolics & a refreshing finish. A faint lick of green leafy herbs chervil or tarragon. Fine, a lovely pithy finish cleansing with a little bitterness. Wild ferment in 1200 stockingers 600 barrels. Fresh & thirst-quenching. Opened beautifully in the glass. Yum! Out to play now with plenty to come.
$87
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Domaine des Roches Neuves Samur Blanc 'Clos de l'Échelier' 2021
Bone Dry!
Stunning Chenin Blanc to Rival the Drinking Pleasure of 1er Cru White Burg & the Worlds Best Dry Rizza!So fine. Superbly textured. Stunning acid of epic length, piercing long and lovely. Fruit length and depth continue to build epically long after swallowing. Incredibly complex & layered. Such depth. Citrus, lemon, a little white grapefruit, pear & quince, garrigue woody herb. When the acid settles and generosity builds with time in bottle this will be an absolute ripper. Wait 3-5 years.
$163
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$149ea in any 6+
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Domaine des Roches Neuves Samur 'Clos Romans' 2018
Bone Dry!
Chenin. Take the syrup from poached quince and mix it with Créme pâtissière. Entrancing. Lovely, feel like I’m cooking quince. Long fine, excellent acid, draws you in, alive with personality. Bone dry! Phenolics here are interesting, dusty rather than oily. They have a wonderful cleansing feel. Savory with a little oxidative character just enough to add intrigue. Fun. Very good.
$199
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The Red

Theirry Germain (Roches Neuves) Samur-Champigny 'Les Roches' 2019
Lovely plump juice that caresses the palate. Loads of energy here. Crunchy fruits perfumed with violets and baking spice. The texture here is exceptional incredibly fine tannins even tannins. Line and length of juicy acid. Loving the finesse here. Superb drinking. Sate the deepest of thirsts!
$54
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Roches Neuves Samur-Champigny 2021

Roches Neuves Samur-Champigny 2021

Cabernet Franc | Saumur-Champigny, D'Anjou-Saumur

Beautiful, plump yet linear fruit average 25 up to 70 years. Wild and tank only ferment. Bright lovely balance and flow. Great way to start the range. A little spice woody herb a little violets and blue fruits. A herbal note in a refreshing & very nice way. Moderate weight and length. Restrained crunchy and delicious. As per Gibb's note could easily be drunk with a couple of degrees knocked off it.“The 2021 Domaine des Roches Neuves is made in a light bodied, delicate and fragrant
$57
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Domaine des Roches Neuves Samur-Champigny 'La Marginale' 2019
Deceptive in it’s depth and length. There is a trick exceptional wines manage, they appear weightless yet have incredible depth and layer after layer of intrigue. This is such a wine. Funny, Thierry’s wines remind me in so many ways of Yarra Yering. When I made wine there we were focused on two things, texture and complexity, building in layer after layer of intrigue. As with Thierry’s fruit we had incredible acidity. We aimed to make wines that you’d drink half a bottle, think, shit tha
$116
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Château Pierre-Bise

Château Pierre-Bise Savennières 'Roche aux Moines' 2020

Château Pierre-Bise Savennières ‘Roche aux Moines’ 2020

Chenin Blanc | Savennières, D'Anjou-Saumur

Wine of personality keep on coming from Savennieres. Lythe, transparent fruit. Dry with pear, baking spice and candied citrus peel. Somehow they have managed to combine a weightless feel with the depth of fruit,a little phenolics and glycerol making for a luscious caress of the tongue. A fine wine that as with all dry Chenin will need a couple of years to start expressing itself in full. I can see why the 2018 managed to score 1 of just 50 wines in show out of almost 19,000 at Decanters 2021 Awa
$87
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$79ea in any 6+
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Filters & Sorting

Domaine Arnaud Lambert Samur Brézé 'Clos David' 2021
Serious Chenin here. A big jump from the Midi. Lambert appears to be working with a little more phenolic extract adding a playful grip and cleansing astringency. Very complete and flowing. David’s extra time in old oak and a 2nd winter in tank give it harmony and refinement, flowing with a real step up in sophistication.Super zippy, mineral acid with the core of fruit to support it. Building generosity and freshness in the glass on a fine crisp acidity. Heading more strongly down the quinc
$111
$107ea in any 3+
$103ea in any 6+
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Huet Vouvray Sec 'Le Mont' 2021
Dry 3g/L

Huet Vouvray Sec ‘Le Mont’ 2021

Chenin Blanc | Vouvray, D'Anjou-Saumur

“This 2021 Le Mont Sec fills the mouth with pear, pineapple, nectarine and violet flavors. There’s a sense of seduction and succulence through the middle of this wine. The flint and the coolness of the site seem to bring a sense of tension and purpose through this wine, which seduces you then spits you out. Delightful fragrance and a mouthwatering, racy finish.”Rebecca Gibb, Vinous 96 Points
$115
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$105ea in any 6+
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Huet Vouvray Sec 'Clos du Bourg' 2021
Dry 3g/L

Huet Vouvray Sec ‘Clos du Bourg’ 2021

Chenin Blanc | Vouvray, D'Anjou-Saumur

“The 2021 Clos du Bourg Sec is an ample, full bodied wine with a stream of acidity. Pure, floral and fragrant with aromas of pineapple, violets and fresh grapes. While rich, it is light in sensation, like a cloud of Chenin filling the mouth, and finishes with a fine, almost powdery and chalky texture.”Rebecca Gibb, Vinous 95 Points
$115
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Huet Vouvray Demi Sec 'Clos du Bourg' 2020
Off Dry 18-25g/l sugar

Huet Vouvray Demi Sec ‘Clos du Bourg’ 2020

Chenin Blanc | Vouvray, France

“Drinking the 2020 Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec is like taking your shoes off at the end of a long day of walking and soaking them in warm water: there's just satisfaction and relaxation. The 2020 has a sense of volume but not weight, filling the mouth with depths of pure fruit before the acid pours forth like a canal lock being opened. You can expect a hint of spice and crème caramel alongside apple and florals. I am utterly seduced.”Rebecca Gibb, Vinous 97 PointsSR 95
$116
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$106ea in any 6+
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Domaine des Roches Neuves Samur-Champigny 'La Marginale' 2019
Deceptive in it’s depth and length. There is a trick exceptional wines manage, they appear weightless yet have incredible depth and layer after layer of intrigue. This is such a wine. Funny, Thierry’s wines remind me in so many ways of Yarra Yering. When I made wine there we were focused on two things, texture and complexity, building in layer after layer of intrigue. As with Thierry’s fruit we had incredible acidity. We aimed to make wines that you’d drink half a bottle, think, shit tha
$116
$111ea in any 3+
$106ea in any 6+
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Terre de l'Elu 'Magellan' Cabernet Franc 2020

Terre de l’Elu ‘Magellan’ Cabernet Franc 2020

Cabernet Franc | Loire Valley, Anjou

This is excellent. Lovely perfume super fine linear long layered tannins. Layered complex flavours of bramble, mulberry, orange skins and florals. Complete harmonious, flowing. The tannins are very impressive so sophisticated superb. Already building a feel of secondary development. Moving into the next phase of development.Charlotte and Thomas’s approach to handling Cabernet Franc is impressive. Where many in the Loire are making green, hard, reduced and Bretty wines, they have succeede
$142
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$132ea in any 6+
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Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Satellite 2020

Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Satellite 2020

Sauvignon Blanc | Sancerre, Centre Loire

The Satellite comes from vines in Chavignol that are spread of five separate parcels, including the reverred terroirs Le Cul de Beaujeu and Les Monts-Damnés. The low cropping Sauvignon Blanc vines here are between 40 and 80 years old. The juice was naturally fermented and raised in large, mature oak barrels and bottled without filtration. The resulting wine harnesses both the famed texture and natural chalky electricity of the slopes of Chavignol, offering intensity, precision, elegance and
$143
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Domaine du Closel Savennières 'Le Clos du Papillon' Chenin Blanc 2020
A complex, textural and thrilling Chenin Blanc. Two parcels, one picked earlier and devoid of botrytis, one later with a little botrytis marry seamlessly presenting us with an entrancing creature. Dry Chenin of this standing is truly something special.There’s a certain composure and harmony here. A fine example, the textural elements show a leaning to less alcohol and higher perceived acidity than its sibling ‘La Caillardières’ adding a degree of restraint and sophistication to thi
$145
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$135ea in any 6+
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Terre de l'Elu 'Parfum d'Eden' Chenin Blanc 2021
New Cuvée from 2021 – A parcel in chaume worked separately. This terroir is often used for sweet wines. Makes a great dry according to Thomas (...and Me!) highlighting again the importance of the flavour and phenolics from the skins.Yields of just 15-20Hl/Ha from very old vines give us a wine that is a delight in the glass! Half to ⅓ of DRC's yields! Fermentation in new wood aged in the same wood for 1 year then 5 months in stainless. This is the same as for the Bastingage.F
$146
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$136ea in any 6+
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Domaine des Roches Neuves Samur Blanc 'Clos de l'Échelier' 2021
Bone Dry!
Stunning Chenin Blanc to Rival the Drinking Pleasure of 1er Cru White Burg & the Worlds Best Dry Rizza!So fine. Superbly textured. Stunning acid of epic length, piercing long and lovely. Fruit length and depth continue to build epically long after swallowing. Incredibly complex & layered. Such depth. Citrus, lemon, a little white grapefruit, pear & quince, garrigue woody herb. When the acid settles and generosity builds with time in bottle this will be an absolute ripper. Wait 3-5 years.
$163
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$149ea in any 6+
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Thibaud Boudignon Anjou Blanc à Francois(e) 2022

Thibaud Boudignon Anjou Blanc à Francois(e) 2022

Chenin Blanc | Loire Valley, Anjou

Made from a small parcel in the village of Saint-Lambert, the 2022 Anjou Blanc à Francois(e) is a mouth-filling style without any heaviness. The generosity of the 2022 season has been curbed, and there's a nervousness and slightly reductive nature that keeps it tight. Expect an attractive sourness from the acidity and salinity. The finish has a nice twist of savory character with 20% new oak (500-liter and cigar format). Time is needed here to ameliorate.Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous 93 Points
$173
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$159ea in any 6+
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Huet Vouvray Moelleux Première Trie 'Le Mont' 2017
1st Pick Botrytis Berries. Sugar 77 g/l

Huet Vouvray Moelleux Première Trie ‘Le Mont’ 2017

Chenin Blanc | Vouvray, D'Anjou-Saumur

77 g/L. This sports a flamboyant edge, with apple crumble, ginger cream, quince paste, green tea and honeysuckle notes forming a wide panoply of aromas and flavors, while sweet and racy accents contrast, creating a lengthy finish where everything hangs in harmony. A stunning show of fruit and precision.James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 97 Points
$185
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