Loire Whites Are Having A Moment
by Dustin Soiseth
With a recent string of strong vintages unprecedented in living memory, the Loire Valley is delivering value and quality like never before. Here are three prime examples of stunning Loire wines. Check back next month for my piece on our distinctive selection of Loire reds.
Prieuré de Saint-Céols
France | Loire | Menetou-Salon
I did a double take after my first sip of Joseph de Maistre’s scintillating Sauvignon Blanc from Menetou-Salon. This is from the Loire? My tasting notes included words like “silky” and “voluptuous.” While the hallmarks of Loire Sauvignon Blanc, like structure and minerality, are present, the level of ripeness and sheer deliciousness really stood out. An exciting debut from our newest Loire producer.
Bernard Baudry
France | Loire | Chinon
The 2022 growing season was characterized by a warm, dry summer, with a little bit of rain at just the right time to keep the vines happy. Grapes were harvested both fully ripe and with all the acidity and minerality that make Loire whites sing. Baudry’s Chinon blanc is a perfect example: pale yellow, with citrus and quince notes, but also a nuttiness and a stony earthiness, like the smell of hot stones just after a summer rain, to balance the fruit.
André-Michel Brégeon
France | Loire | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Fred Lailler’s Clisson is front-loaded with flavor. The 2020 vintage was pretty toasty by Loire standards, with grapes easily reaching full ripeness. Additionally, this vineyard, situated on a sandy granite terroir instead of the region’s usual gabbro and gneiss, gives a rounder expression of the Melon grape. While there is a lot of fruit here, it’s a cool sort of fruit, more apples and pears than the tropical flavors we associate with ripeness in white wines. And it is refreshing, as you’d expect a Muscadet to be. The crisp finish always has you reaching for the next glass.
I did a double take after my first sip of Joseph de Maistre’s scintillating Sauvignon Blanc from Menetou-Salon. This is from the Loire? My tasting notes included words like “silky” and “voluptuous.” While the hallmarks of Loire Sauvignon Blanc, like structure and minerality, are present, the level of ripeness and sheer deliciousness really stood out. An exciting debut from our newest Loire producer.
The 2022 growing season was characterized by a warm, dry summer, with a little bit of rain at just the right time to keep the vines happy. Grapes were harvested both fully ripe and with all the acidity and minerality that make Loire whites sing. Baudry’s Chinon blanc is a perfect example: pale yellow, with citrus and quince notes, but also a nuttiness and a stony earthiness, like the smell of hot stones just after a summer rain, to balance the fruit.
Fred Lailler’s Clisson is front-loaded with flavor. The 2020 vintage was pretty toasty by Loire standards, with grapes easily reaching full ripeness. Additionally, this vineyard, situated on a sandy granite terroir instead of the region’s usual gabbro and gneiss, gives a rounder expression of the Melon grape. While there is a lot of fruit here, it’s a cool sort of fruit, more apples and pears than the tropical flavors we associate with ripeness in white wines. And it is refreshing, as you’d expect a Muscadet to be. The crisp finish always has you reaching for the next glass.
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