Touraine

Not many family-run business can claim over 300 years in business, but the Saget family starting working with wine back in 1790. And leave it to the French to produce a very enjoyable Pinot Noir for under $20. Created in a lighter style this Pinot, at this price point, is a very good value and provides good quality fruit, tannic structure, and acidity. It offers red raspberry, light strawberry, delicate cherry, cranberry, worn leather, resin, a mild earthiness and a suggestion of cola. The wine is seamlessly blended and therefore drinks well.

Another great consistent value wine.  This is Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley.  Light golden in color with some green hues, clear and bright.  The nose has nice minerality with a bit of peach.  Light to medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, mineral, and lemon with some peach coming out later especially on the finish.  This is tasty and easy drinking on its own but also very food friendly.  It would work nicely with Salade Niçoise.  Drink over the next three to five years.

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 one of our favorite producers of win es in the Loire Valley.  Compared to most Sancerre's or Pouilly Fume's, this is a tremendous value if you like Lorie Sauvignon Blanc (the ancestral home of the grape).  Not sure, well for the price, it sure seems worth checking out.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has minerality, hay, peach and slight grapefruit.  Light bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, minerality with grapefruit.

This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Lorie Valley in France.  Yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a nice minerality with crushed shells.  Slight grassiness.  On the palate, this is slightly oily with nice minerality.  Clean finish.  This is a solid wine that is a very nice value at $13.  It will drink well on its own or with lighter foods.  

From a top producer in the Loire Valley, this is a basic Sauvignon Blanc.  For $16, this is a nice value.  Light green/gold in color.  The nose is a bit dusty with some pine notes.  With air a bit of grass and minerals emerge.  On the palate, this is like eating sweet tarts.  It has a dry but sugary quality to it.  Tart citrus.  It took some getting used to but then it drank fine.  Long finish.  Worked great with an assortment of cheeses which really helped the wine come together.