Traveling the Loire
by Dustin Soiseth
The unique aspect of the Loire,” said Simon Chotard, “is all the different microclimates.” My colleagues and I were midway up a vine-covered hillside above the tiny village of Reigny, just outside Sancerre, on a cool, blustery day. As Simon was running an alfresco tasting out of the back of his pickup, his wife Juliette was explaining the subtle differences of the domaine’s different parcels, which were spread out below. A peppering of hail soon chased us off the hill and into the winery, where we continued to taste from barrel, foudre, and amphora as Simon explained how the unique aspects of each vineyard guided what methods and materials he employed in the cellar. It’s one thing to understand, on an intellectual level, the concept of terroir, but to see with my own eyes the contour of the land and how the elements move through it, and then learn how all that informs how the wine is made and how it ultimately—most importantly—tastes was mind-blowing. If there’s such a thing as “wine enlightenment,” I was experiencing it right there in the cellar.
Chotard was our first stop on a journey down the Loire that was filled with such moments. In Bourgueil I stood in the Breton family’s Les Perrières vineyard with France Breton and then tasted a 1947 Bourgueil made by her great-great-grandparents. At Joguet, we learned that individual rows of vines are tended by the same worker year after year. We tasted from chestnut casks that were resting quietly in a twelfth-century church at Château d’Épiré. These wines are just a few of the amazing bottles we experienced on this trip, each one a vivid expression of the people and places we visited along the way.
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
France | Loire
Chotard’s Les Cris is named for the small limestone rocks that stud the vineyard, which sits on a subsoil of rich Kimmeridgian marl—great dirt for Sauvignon Blanc! Simon Chotard always tries to include some botrytized grapes in Les Cris—grapes touched by the same “noble rot” that produces Sauternes—which contribute a subtle honeyed character that, when combined with the grassy citrus notes and a delicious minerality of classic Sancerre, creates an irresistible tart-sweet tension.
2022 Vouvray
France | Loire
Céline Champalou’s Vouvray is always a joy to drink. The wine seems so pure, as if it bubbled up out of the limestone into a cool, limpid pool tended by nymphs and satyrs who pour it into the mouths of weary souls. That’s what I feel, anyway, when I grab a bottle from the fridge.
2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
France | Loire
Vintage 2021 was challenging for Cabernet Franc, but I’ve heard more than one winemaker say they absolutely love the classic wines that resulted. When I tasted Clos Sénéchal, it was easy to see why—the wine is a stunner, with a velvety texture and a core of ripe fruit, along with an earthy wildness. It is compact and packs a punch, like a featherweight boxer, and should cellar well.
2020 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
France | Loire
You’re immediately hit with generous red fruit aromas and that classic Cabernet Franc green-pepper note. In the glass, the wine is wonderfully loose-knit, the tannins gentle. Incredibly open and enjoyable now.
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
France | Loire
In this remarkable clos, the vines sink their roots greedily and deep into the limestone bedrock. Dark ruby in the glass, with classic pepper and graphite notes and a hint of blood orange. Each sip leads with gorgeous Cabernet Franc fruit, perfectly ripe and fresh—lots of raspberry—and ends with a long, luxurious finish.
2022 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
France | Loire
Chenin Blanc from Savennières is such a different beast from Vouvray. Here, at the western end of the Loire Valley, limestone gives way to more schist, resulting in a cooler, more restrained vibe, with less stone fruit and more crisp pear. The finish is nutty, dry, and a bit craggy, much like the rock-strewn vineyards overlooking the Loire that are its source.