The Loire Valley is Red Hot Right Now!

The number of grape varieties grown adjacent to France's longest river is mind-blowing, many indigenous to the region, others with names more familiar to us in America: Côt (Malbec), Grolleau, Arbois, Pineau d'Aunis, Gamay, Melon de Bourgogne, Gros Plant (Rolle Blanche), Chardonnay, Chasselas, Romorantin, Fié, Malvoisie (Pinot Gris), and even more obscure varieties.

But there are four varieties that currently dominate the Loire's most esteemed offerings, two red and two white. Cabernet Franc is the red grape of Chinon, Bourgueil Anjou, and Saumur-Champigny, producing wines that range from earthy to nearly Burgundian in texture. Pinot Noir is the red grape of Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Quincy and others in the eastern part of the Loire Valley. These wines are typically wiry, tight, minerally, and in favorable vintages, quite appealing in aroma, texture and flavor.

The champion white varieties are Sauvignon Blanc, most notably found in a string of growing regions in the eastern Loire Valley—Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly, Coteaux du Giennois—some plantings also in the Touraine, with flavors that range from racy and herbaceous to velvety and round, and Chenin Blanc, which produces the towering wines from Vouvray, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Saumur and the Anjou region.

Loire wine expert Jacqueline Friedrich summed up Loire Chenin Blanc quite vividly in her book Wine and Food Guide to the Loire:

"Chenin is a difficult wine for newcomers but an exciting one for connoisseurs. It is, perhaps, unique in that its sole purpose is to be exceptional…To really taste Chenin, you need to give it time. Most important, it doesn't do mediocrity well. Either it's nasty or it's extraordinary."

After that fascinating challenge, how can we resist learning more?

As you might imagine, white wines in this cool northern region are much more in abundance than the reds, and the common thread running through all of them, regardless of variety, is their fresh natural acidity, giving the wines firmness, structure, and in the case of Chenin Blanc, the ability to age longer than most red wines. Chenin, like Germany's Riesling and Alsatian Gewürztraminer, excels at all sweetness levels, from bone dry to off-dry (which the locals call "sec tendre"), lightly sweet (demi-sec), and the very sweet (moelleux and the almost syrupy selection de grains nobles, also called liquoreux).

Surprisingly, the sparkling wines of the region, often labeled Crémant, are also compelling, completely unique from the flavor and character of champagne, and usually priced much less. Vouvray, Montlouis and Saumur offer some of the finest examples.

A special mention should be made about the brisk wines of Muscadet in the westernmost part of the Loire Valley, a region close to Nantes where the river empties into the chilly Atlantic. This is a very cool region where the white grape Melon de Bourgogne cannot achieve the kind of expressive ripeness found in warmer climates. But what these wines do possess is the acidity that provide an exciting minerality and zip that awaken one's palate, providing France's favorite accompaniment to raw oysters and shellfish platters. Jacqueline Friedrich offers my favorite description of the wine:

"Pale, racy, and dry, Muscadet's appeal is its delicacy and the steely vigor it expresses within that context. Its tart lemon tang is offset by savory almond flavors and a Badoit-like taste of minerals. A barely perceptible sparkle lifts the wine across the palate with an exciting, hard, cold tingle, like a mountain stream flowing fast over rocks."

Perhaps the reason Loire Valley wines are so popular with our customers is because the flavors are so vivid, mostly devoid of any oak influences, and the alcohols relatively low, meaning a second and third glass with dinner rarely cause wooziness. And of course their relative value, especially when compared to comparably accomplished wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne.

Our staff loves drinking these wines, too. That's why we feature them frequently in our store tastings.

Sure, there are the super-elite producers like Domaine Didier Dagueneau from Pouilly-sur-Loire and Clos Rougeard from Saumur Champigny who craft collectible wines you'll only find in Michelin-starred restaurants and a handful of top retailers. Their reputations have made their wines sought after the world over, so of course, they are expensive.

But you need not pay three digits to acquire legendary wine from the Loire Valley. Venerable producers like Huet from Vouvray and Charles Joguet from Chinon are both accessible to those of us that work for a living. Exceptional producers like François Chidaine in Montlouis, Champalou in Vouvray, Vacheron in Sancerre and Aliet in Chinon all produce tremendous wines less expensive than many domestic Chardonnays and Cabernets. Up-and-comers like Arnaud Lambert and Domaine Belargus (both from Anjou) have exploded on the scene in recent years making critically acclaimed Chenin Blancs from top vineyard sites.

And there are many, many fine producers making extremely satisfying wines under $40 and many well under $30. You know their names if you've been shopping here for awhile: Sylvain Bailly, Jo Landron, André Bregeon, Henri Bourgeois, Le Capitaine, Chanteleuserie, Mary Taylor (Anjou), and so many other delightful performers.

In short, there may not be another top-class wine region that gives so much (especially at the table) for such reasonable prices.

Whenever you get a chance to attend a Loire Valley tasting, do yourself a favor and just do it. At the minimum, you'll encounter vivid, stimulating wines, and at the most, you just might find yourself falling in love with wine all over again. We're hosting one this Saturday, February 7th, from 1-4 pm!

Just a sampling of our Loire wines:

2024 Domaine de Chanteleuserie Bourgueil Cuvée Alouettes – $17.99
"After I poured him a glass, my father-in-law asked me what I thought of this wine. I replied that it was the quintessential bistro wine, the kind that might be served in a carafe alongside steak frites or a croque monsieur: foods that soften the edges of this earthy red and allow its bright fruit to pop. It is meant to be as much of a fixture on your table as the salt and pepper shakers, a notion bolstered by the fact that locals can still bring their own carafes to Chanteleuserie and fill them straight from the cask with juicy, vibrant Cabernet Franc for enjoyment at home. If that's not a testament to the wine's true purpose, I don't know what is."—Dustin Soiseth, Kermit Lynch Imports

2018 Domaine Couly-Dutheil Chinon Domaine Rene Couly – $27.99
Arnaud Couly Dutheil, great-grandson of Baptiste Dutheil, the estate's founder, offers a new perspective on the Chinon appellation, highlighting the estate's finest parcels. Sustainably grown, this Cabernet Franc is garnet and ruby colored, with a nice fruity nose and a round, velvety and aromatic palate of blackberry and black cherry. Ideal with poultry and red meats, rack of lamb, braised lamb shoulder, and coq au vin.

2023 Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine – $25.99
"Classic Chinon such as Baudry's "Domaine" exudes an autumnal vibe that makes it an excellent choice for serving this time of year. Its balance of dark forest berries, rain-soaked earth, and gravelly tannins with a gentle bite make a pristine match for seasonal staples like game meats and wild mushrooms. It's a textbook Chinon from one of the great traditionalist domaines, and you'll struggle to find a red as authentic and perfectly suited to your table."—Anthony Lynch, Kermit Lynch Imports

2023 Phillipe Alliet Chinon – $28.99
A perennial favorite at this point and there's less and less that makes it to the U.S. each year. Made from young vines planted in sandy/clay based soil, this is classic Cabernet Franc. Fleshy, grapey fruit backed up with smooth tannins that are never green. The gritty texture shows some minerals and provide perfect seasoning for the up-front fruit. We feel privileged to be able to offer this sought-out wine whenever we can get it. 100% Cabernet Franc this regional superstar.

2022 Charles Joguet Chinon "Cuvée Terroir" – $24.99
The Cuvée Terroir is one of the great everyday reds in the Kermit Lynch portfolio, right up there with Dupeuble's Beaujolais and the Kermit Lynch Côtes du Rhône. Here, the Terroir's Cabernet Franc telltale combination of tart red fruit, herbaceousness, and graphite earthiness makes this wine the perfect accompaniment for just about any meal, and the more casual the better.
"As a testament to the quality and consistency of this wine, here's Kermit's endorsement from more than 20 years ago about the 2000 vintage: What a rich, explosive bouquet! Can you dig it? Did Joguet throw some strawberries into the fermentation vat? And never fear, the palate sustains the incredible level of quality. It is delicious, an absolutely gorgeous, multi-dimensional wine. Joguet has delivered a wonderful bunch of wines over the years, but never such pure drinking pleasure. It's a treat, and it is to drink young. And despite the winemaker describing this as "Full, sensual, even voluptuous," he also suggests that it is to be served a bit cool. Try it on for size."—Dustin Soiseth, Kermit Lynch Imports

2020 Charles Joguet Chinon "Varennes du Grand Clos" – $53.99
This has long been my personal favorite bottling of the venerable Charles Joguet estate. This regal single vineyard was written about by the Kermit Lynch people: "if premier crus were permitted in Chinon, Les Varennes du Grand Clos would certainly be considered one of them." With fruit from vines planted in 1972 and 1976, Winemaker Kevin Fontaine has crafted a richly flavored, silky-textured beauty, which is just beginning to show its potential. "Deep, dark herbal aromas announce a muscular palate, boldly delivering a delightful burst of red fruit along with tannic structure. Did I say a long finish? Well, this one goes on for days. Try it with farm-fresh beef and olive sauté."—Emily Spillmann, Kermit Lynch Imports

N.V. Champalou Vouvray Brut – $27.99
This wonderful sparkler is a reminder that not all delicious wine that bubble need be from Champagne. The impeccable Chenin Blancs produced by Champalou are in full display here. Explosive flavor gives the impression of fruitiness at first taste, but quickly turns dry throughout the journey from middle to finish. This is an absolutely delicious sparkler with a gentle fruit emanating from the impeccable Loire Chenin Blanc grown by the Champalou family.

2024 Champalou Vouvray Sec (dry) – $25.99
About as pure a Vouvray as you will ever find. Stone fruit, gentle holiday spice, lemon curd and river stones. Nice curve on the palate with plenty of tingly acidity. A perfect white wine for subtle pork dishes, chicken, cured meats and cheeses. A Kermit Lynch import.

2024 Champalou Vouvray Fondraux – $26.99
45 year old vines go into this "sec tendre" style of Loire Chenin Blanc. It's a tad richer than the estate's sec, and a kiss of fruitiness makes it a suitable partner with some very challenging wine meals, like duck a l'orange, Thanksgiving dinner, many Asian foods, and anything with "Veronique" in the name. This Kermit Lynch import has been on The Wine Country's shelves since our inception in 1995. The reason? Purity. Family owned. Impeccable, true flavors. Take your pick. "Crafting impeccably balanced, off-dry wines like this is no simple task, but the Champalou Fondraux rolls over the tongue so fluidly that you might be tempted to think the berries tasted just like this when they were picked off the vine. It comes down to masterful winemaking, in which precision and savoir faire replace the need for technological intervention to create a velvety, suave Vouvray that oozes class. The contrast of ripe, succulent Chenin Blanc fruit with a spike of flinty minerality is like licking honey off an arrowhead."—Anthony Lynch, Kermit Lynch Imports

2023 Domaine Trotereau Quincy Vieille Vignes – $29.99
The Loire Sauvignon Blanc region of Quincy is one of France's oldest appellations, second only to Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Trotereau's version is an authentic representation, more serious than most. Pierre Ragon of Domaine Trotereau (founded in 1803) is as much an icon of the small appellation of Quincy in the Loire Valley as the appellation itself is a historical icon for the whole of France. Ragon is now blessed with vines over 100 years old that are still producing exceptional fruit. This is the real deal from Quincy.

Jean-Marie Reverdy & Fils Domaine La Villaudière Sancerre – $33.99
I don't need to tell you Sancerre has been on fire the past year, and this wonderful discovery will show you why. A handsome Sauvignon Blanc with a good core for fruit, nicely concentrated. You are in for a real treat.

2024 Francis Blanchet Pouilly-Fumé Cuvée Silice – $26.99
Now that Francis' son, Mathieu, has joined the winery, the Blanchet family can count eight generations of winemakers among its ranks. This centuries-plus dedication to the soul of the Loire and the character of Sauvignon Blanc, its native grape, make the Blanchet clan a reliable source for the true voice of this vibrant grape. Man, just smelling this wine makes us hungry. Something about the aromatics transported us back to the Loire Valley, the air silky and thick with moisture, sitting in a café, the breeze lifting fresh green and floral aromas and scattering them about the room, already rich with the smells of shallots and sea creatures in butter. So layered and complex on the nose you almost don't want to ruin the moment by tasting it. Once you do however, wow. Tropical fruits, passion fruit and guava along with grapefruit and lime. So forward and generous with a silky mouthfeel and a playful sizzle of acidity. Goat cheeses, fish, salads, just because, all reasons to have some of this wine on hand.

For our current Loire Valley inventory, CLICK HERE.