Loire Valley

• Bourgueil
• Jasnières
• Muscadet
• Mont Louis
• Sancerre
• Saumur
• Savennières
• Touraine
• Vouvray

This is from the "middle" sections of the Loire Valley in France.  It is a Sauvignon Blanc that is different from other versions made around the world.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is mineral driven with just a hint of limes.  Clean.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, the minerality comes thru.  Nice finish.  This wine needs food.  It works with cheeses and would be great with chicken salad.  Drink up.  

Chidaine is a favorite Loire producer of ours.  Excellent wines for not crazy money.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with chalk/minerals along with pears and lemon rind.  Medium bodied.  Nice acidity.  Great texture.  On the palate, minerality with pears.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own and even better with food.  This would be great with a goat cheese and roasted beet salad.  Drink over the next eight to twelve years. 

There are not many better values in wine than Muscadet.  This is one of the better ones and it can be had for under $30. This is made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape from 60 year old vines.  Silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has crushed shells, salinity and a hint of peach.  Medium bodied.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, this is crisp but with no hard edges.  Crushed shell notes and a slight peachy quality.  Good finish.  This is a perfect choice with oysters but will work well with salads as well.  A great summer wine.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

This is from a top Sancerre producer and while this is not labeled as such, it is better than many with the name.  A lovely, lighter wine that is clean and mineral driven although there is some fruit, too.  Light pale golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has minerality with apples and just the slightest grassy note.  Light bodied.  On the palate, more minerals with some apples and slight citrus.  Nice acidity.  Good finish.  This drinks fine on its own but is better with food.  It worked well with Mini French Onion Soup with Grilled Gruyere Sandwiches although better with the later.

This is 100% Chenin Blanc fermented and aged in wood barrels.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose shows some citrus and spice.  A nice oily texture.  On the palate, lemons.  Crisp.  Nice finish.  A very nice wine that is drinking well.  The oak is not obtrusive and seems to add a bit of weight/texture to the wine.  It is lovely on its own and should work well with many foods.  It would be a nice pairing with scallops.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.

The Vouvray's of Huet are my most often opened white wine.  100% Chenin Blanc.  This vintage seems to be not a top vintage but the wine is still excellent and a nice value.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with pears, sea air, some orange peel and slight herbal note.  Medium bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, this is dry (Sec) with pears and slight citrus.  Moderate finish.  This improved over the three  hours it took to drain the bottle (two people).  It should drink well for the next ten to fifteen years.  Nice on its own, it is very

Ruby in color, purple swirls, mostly clear and bright.  The nose brings the barnyard funk but also some black cherries and a bit of cigar box.  Medium bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this has depth and complexity.  Much cleaner on the palate, but still some Brettanomyces.  Black cherries with some leathery notes.  Menthol on the finish.  This is very nice on its own but probably a bit better with food.  It would work well with Lamb Stew but also Roasted Vegetables.  At or past peak, this should be consumed over the next five years or so.  

I used to drink a lot of this but somehow it fell off my radar.  Tasting this, I am reminded how good it is.  Made from Chenin Blanc grapes.  Pale, silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is expressive with flint, some chalk, some green apples and a bit or orange rind.  Full bodied.  Lovely texture.  Great acidity.  On the palate, the chalk and green apples come thru along with some herbal notes.  Clean.  Persistent finish with some heat.  This is delicious on its own and will work well with lighter foods.  An interesting match would be chicken salad.  

This is 100% Chenin Blanc from 70 year old vines in the Loire Valley.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has loads of minerality with a touch of lemon peel.  Slightly viscous texture.  Concentrated.  Lots of energy.  On the palate, this is clean and tasty with a lot of minerality.  Slight lemon note.  Long finish. This is very young but drinking well.  It should continue to drink well for another ten to fifteen years (at least).  A great match for grilled trout or other sea food.  This is expensive so shop around for pricing.  

Always a great value in white wine.  These wines come in a variety of sweetness levels with the Sec being the driest.  It is a wine that should do at least ten years if well cellared.  Mineral driven with crushed shells and also a hint of orange peel.  Great on its own or with sea food or lighter meals.  Highly recommended.