If Sancerre had a Grand Cru vineyard, it would be the Monts Damnées. This most famous of Sancerre’s terroirs abuts the hamlet of Chavignol west of the town. Sancerre produces popular wine from every corner of its appellation, but the hillside of the Monts Damnées is special.
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.
Chenin blanc is a tough grape to pin down. The varietal produces a staggering array of styles: from still to sparkling, bone dry to very sweet, and everything in between. Even today, the winemakers of the Loire, France’s center for winemaking innovation, continue to push what’s possible from the grape.
The soils of Sancerre are famous for their flint. This unusual mineral gives the region’s wines notes of smokiness and stones. The minerality acts as a perfect foil for Sauvignon Blanc’s lush grapefruit notes, and Sancerre has always been among the world’s most popular wines.
The Loire Valley is an exciting place these days. The two new sources we discovered this spring have already gained fans among our readers -- the Sancerres of Domaine de la Garenne, and the Chenin Blancs of Nicolas Paget. Today we’re excited to introduce a third -- the Domaine des Sanzay in Saumur-Champigny.
Sauvignon Blanc has seen a recent surge in popularity. It’s hard to find a wine list these days without examples from New Zealand, California and Washington. But the original source for Sauvignon Blanc is France’s Loire Valley.
We’re in France for the next few weeks, revisiting some highlights from the family’s year long sojourn here twenty years ago. We have begun as we did in 1998, with a visit to the Brittany coast, and we write you today from St. Malo, an old fortress town on the English channel.
Sancerre has always been the star of the Loire Valley. Though recent years have seen interest explode 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. Today’s wine is classic Sancerre — mineral, bright, refreshing […]
Nicolas Paget is one of the most exciting (and excited) new producers we’ve found in years. All of our winemakers care deeply about their craft, but Paget is unusually committed. After 90 minutes of tasting with him, we were running more than an hour late for our next tasting; but when he begged us to join him for a quick…
We’ve spent years looking for a good Sancerre source. It’s harder than you might think -- Sancerre is a small appellation with a big name, and everyone wants to have the wine in their portfolio. But this spring we struck gold, and they’ve just arrived in the warehouse.
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 it’s this hot out, we can’t think of much else in our glasses.
Perched where the Loire river meets the windswept Atlantic coast, Muscadet has long been a source for a classic, dry white wine. Served by the carafe in the oyster bars of Paris and London for decades, it’s refreshing, abundant, and inexpensive — a perfect glass to wash down a plate of crustaceans.
Summer’s arrival means more rosé and white in our glasses. But sometimes a meal or a houseguest or a whim requires red — and in those circumstances we like to have something straightforward, affordable and refreshing. Pinot Noir is an easy choice, but for something a bit different we often turn to the Loire. They […]
Yesterday afternoon we visited Frederic Michot, our winemaker in Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire Valley. After our tasting he took us on his tour of his vines, all Sauvignon blanc planted on the banks of the Loire.
Sancerre gets most of the Sauvignon Blanc attention in the Loire Valley. But in fact the upper Loire has many excellent sources for the grape. Our favorites from the less well-known towns is Pouilly-Fumé. Located just across the Loire river from Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé can be just as good as its famous neighbor.