Our Burgundy focus means we write a lot about subtlety: the nuances of terroir, the intricacies of weather patterns, etc. But sometimes we like to drink wine that’s a bit simpler -- not boring or one-dimensional, just uncomplicated enjoyment.
Fabien Demois is a young winemaker crafting subtle, pure, organic cuvées. He took over his family’s hundred-year-old domaine ten years ago, and has converted his vineyards to organic. His wines are humble, pure, well-made, and great values.
The Loire Valley is an exciting place these days. We’ve added three Loire sources in recent years, each bringing something new to the Ansonia portfolio: whites from the Upper Loire (Garenne in Sancerre) and Central Loire (Paget in Touraine-Azay le Rideau), and reds from today’s source, the Domaine des Sanzay in Saumur-Champigny.
Sancerre has no premier or grand cru classifications -- all 6400 acres are under the same appellation. But, as you might expect, not all of Sancerre’s terroirs are created equal. Among the most famous is the steep slopes of the Monts Damnées (damned mountains).
Sancerre has always been the star of the Loire Valley. Though recent years have seen more interest in the region’s other appellations, Sancerre remains the best known and among the best-liked. It’s popular, easy to drink, easy to pronounce, and pairs well with lots of dishes.
We’re really excited to have added the Domaine des Sanzay to our portfolio. Not only are their labels (designed by the family’s son) the classiest in our cellar, as it turns out the Sanzay family are terrific winemakers.
Winemaker Frederic Michot is as brisk and energetic as his wines. He talks (and drives) fast, and sports the same no-nonsense attitude found in a glass of his Pouilly-Fumé: pure Sauvignon blanc, no oak, clean and crisp.
Sancerre has always been the star of the Loire Valley. Though recent years have seen interest rise in the region’s other appellations, Sancerre remains the best known and among the best-liked. It’s popular, easy to drink, easy to pronounce, and pairs well with lots of dishes.
The Loire Valley is known as the Garden of France. Its lush rolling hillsides produce nearly every type of wine, from dry to sweet, light to dark, and white to red to sparkling to rosé. One of region’s most distinct styles is an unoaked, juicy Cabernet Franc from the central Loire Valley.
All of our winemakers care deeply about their craft, but Nicolas Paget is unusually impassioned. He believes fervently in his vines, his wines, his technique and his terroir.
For white wines, it doesn’t get much drier than Muscadet. Grown near the mouth of the Loire River, Muscadet is at once brisk and hearty -- the essence of the windswept Atlantic coast. When the weather turns hot we can’t think of much else in our glasses.
"Oak is good… but wine is better.” That’s how one of our vignerons answered a question a few years ago about how he uses oak. We know what he means, and we still see too many winemakers fall into the trap of overoaking.
For years Muscadet was a simple wine. Karen MacNeil’s Wine Bible refers to it as a wine “meant for drinking (not thinking).” A staple of bistros across France, Muscadet’s reputation was as a perfect accompaniment for seafood, and little else.
Our focus on Burgundy means we spend a lot of time talking about subtlety: the nuances of terroir, the intricacies of weather patterns, etc. But sometimes we like to drink wine that’s a bit simpler -- not boring or one-dimensional, just uncomplicated enjoyment in a glass.
Sancerre has always been the star of the Loire Valley. Though recent years have seen interest rise in the region’s other appellations, Sancerre remains the best known and among the best-liked. It’s popular, easy to drink, easy to pronounce, and pairs well with lots of dishes.