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

Looking good! Fresh, style with a nice phenolic grip and cleansing astringency with crunchy mineral acid. Spiced pear and quince with citrus rind and fresh marmalade are balanced by silvery almond lining. Building generosity in the glass. Give this a year in bottle to settle a little and drink over 5 years.
$62
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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

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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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

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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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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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

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

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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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 ‘Clos de Coulaine’ 2018

Chenin Blanc | Savennières, D'Anjou-Saumur

The extra couple of years here gives us an idea of where the 2020 Roche Aux Moines will head. Honeyed, lemon, baking spices a little of the lanolin character that seems to come through in Chenin from Anjou-Samur. Again the transparency of pear fruit with textural phenolic elements at play. Divine wine. Thirst quenching and delicious.
$59
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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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Showing 36 Delicious Wines!

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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1st Pick Botrytis Berries. Sugar 125 g/l

Huet Vouvray Moelleux Première Trie ‘Le Mont’ 2022

Chenin Blanc | Vouvray, D'Anjou-Saumur

Despite its 125g/L of residual sugar, the 2022 Le Mont Premiere Trie Moelleux is balanced, fine and long. Yes, its sweetness fills the mouth and makes it blossom, but there's no suggestion of unctuousness or weight. It has tranquility as if it has just finished a weekend on a retreat, calmly coating the palate with its curves. In 2022, its tender acidity makes for a gentle conclusion with a delicate floral fragrance. Nevertheless, the refined, chalky tension pulls this wine through, bringing lin
$200
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Thibaud Boudignon Savennières ‘Clos de La Hutte’ 2020

Chenin Blanc | Savennières, D'Anjou-Saumur

”The 2020 Clos de la Hutte is a wine that makes your shoulders drop such is its tranquility and sense of comfort in your mouth. It blooms in the mouth and does so without any sense of heaviness. The finish, scented with flowers and nectarines, is long, fragrant and textural. I hate using the word minerality as it means so many different things to people, but in my opinion, this has it in spades. It is incredible that the vines were only planted in 2011 on the schistous site on the grounds of a
$260
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Thibaud Boudignon Savennières ‘Clos de La Hutte’ MAGNUM 2020

Chenin Blanc | Savennières, D'Anjou-Saumur

”The 2020 Clos de la Hutte is a wine that makes your shoulders drop such is its tranquility and sense of comfort in your mouth. It blooms in the mouth and does so without any sense of heaviness. The finish, scented with flowers and nectarines, is long, fragrant and textural. I hate using the word minerality as it means so many different things to people, but in my opinion, this has it in spades. It is incredible that the vines were only planted in 2011 on the schistous site on the grounds of a
$521
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$481ea in any 6+
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