The Everyday Magic of Loire Reds
by Dustin Soiseth
2024 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
France | Loire
Pineau d’Aunis is one of those grapes that flies under the radar, but in skilled hands it yields carefree reds that the locals enjoy at their own tables and vignerons are loath to sell to importers for fear they will run out of their do-all vin de table. Served cool, Janvier’s Cuvée du Rosier balances bright cranberry fruit with a pleasing earthiness that I love in Loire reds, and the finish is clean and refreshing. It’s always a good idea to know what the locals are drinking.
2023 Reuilly Pinot Noir
France | Loire
The wines from Domaine de Reuilly have been a cornerstone of our Loire portfolio for years, and with the dynamic Joseph de Maistre now at the helm, I’m looking forward to many more vintages from this benchmark domaine. With fine red fruit and a minerality that lightens up thick slices of saucisson or a toothsome jambon-beurre, Domaine de Reuilly’s Pinot Noir offers Burgundian elegance at Loire prices.
2021 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
France | Loire
Vintage 2021 produced elegant Cabernet Francs laden with floral, raspberry, and black tea notes, and they’re just hitting their stride. Joguet’s refined Varennes du Grand Clos has fine-grained, mineral tannins—the product of healthy vines tended by skilled hands—that seem to melt into the richness of a marbled steak or seared duck breast in an almost magical way. This succulent alchemy is a welcome reassurance that, at least when it comes to food and wine, a classic pairing need not be fussy to be greater than the sum of its parts.