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Since 1994, the Montcountour vineyards are owned and controlled by the Feray family. These wines are currently produced from six high-quality wine estates located across the Loire Valley. The vines that were grown on the steep slopes of the valley were covered with hard rocks and caves to protect the history and maintain the mystery of these impeccable vines. These terroirs are known for their exceptional climatic conditions and diverse soils. The Feudal building has survived the centuries and has seen many personalities from the court and the arts stay there, a dependency of the Bishopric of tours under Saint-Martin in the 4th century. The current building dates from the renaissance and was erected by King Charles VII who offered it to Agnès Sorel, his lady of Beauty. Partly burnt down during the French Revolution, the building was rehabilitated; then, in 1846, the Touraine writer Honoré de Balzac wanted to buy it, wanted it in vain, to live there with his fervent admirer and wife Evelyne Hanska. On June 10, 1846, he wrote to his wife and one could read in this letter the still famous formula: "Moncontour is my predilection". -
Stéphane Riffault (Claude’s son and now the owner of the estate) is turning out Sancerre bottlings that are the envy of many producers twice his age. As David Schildknecht put it, “Make no mistake: this address in the hamlet of Maison Salle (Sury-en-Vaux) is now one of the five or six most exciting estates in the Sancerre appellation.” Given that Stephane’s holdings represent 4-tenths of 1 percent of the appellation, he is clearly doing something right. Based in the village of Sury-en-Vaux, Stéphane Riffault works 33 different parcels in 8 different lieu-dits spread across four villages. The 13.5 hectares of vines are plowed, and no synthetic material is used. Starting in 2017, the property has been certified organic by ECOCERT and biodynamic by BIODYVIN. Unlike most Sancerre producers, the entire harvest is carried out by hand, and extensive sorting occurs before the grapes are crushed. Stéphane’s wife, Benedicte, leads the harvest team while Stéphane manages the sorting and press during harvest. Most of the domaine’s holdings are planted on the soft limestone soil called terres blanches, with some parcels on calliottes and silex. Minor, judicious uses of oak help to add length to the already precise, site-expressive, and vertical bottlings. All the parcels are vinified separately, and except for the rosé, all the wines are bottled unfiltered. Having studied and worked in Burgundy (and closely with Olivier Leflaive), it’s easy to see the Burgundian influence in Stéphane’s wines. The mastery of minerality standing shoulder–height with the wood is rarely duplicated in Sancerre. Regardless of his parcels’ exposition (many are south-facing), Riffault’s wines are always crisp and highcut with a jeweled delineation that speaks to the precision and attention these wines get. These are not your daddy’s (or his daddy, Claude’s) Sancerres. Sancerre Les Denisottes Les Denisottes comes from a lieu-dit located quite close to the domaine’s cellar. Here the terres blanches soils are deeper and more pebbly than rocky and producing a richer style of Sancerre – one that requires a longer élevage in barrel, and released with a greater capacity to age. -
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The Chatelain family has worked the vineyards of Pouilly-sur-Loire since the 1630s. Today the family farm is run by Jean-Claude and Geneviève Chatelain, the 11th generation of winemakers from Domaine Chatelain. The grapes for Les Chailloux are grown on the St. Andelain Hill with its clay and siliceous soils strewn with pebbles and flint; the wine is aged ‘sur lie’ prior to bottling in the spring. Light yellow-gold; the wine is vivid, aromatic and minerally on the nose, followed by a spicy flint (silex) character on the palate. -
The 50-hectare Domaine des Roches Neuves is run by Bordelais Thierry Germain who originally was from Bordeaux and is situated in the appellation of Saumur-Champigny. The winery has existed since 1850, and since purchasing the estate in 1991, Thierry run it with such incredible will and tenacity that turned Domaine des Roches Neuves into one of the finest wineries/farms in France. Not to forget it wasn't without the help of his mentor and spiritual father Charly Foucault of Clos Rougeard The estate is run strictly along biodynamic lines, harvesting is manual and yields are low. This stunning wine pairs well with pork rillettes, lamb shank confit, grilled artichokes. Try it with just cheeses and charcuterie -
Located on the right bank of the Vienne Valley, between Tours and Saumur, Domaine Grosbois is an old fortified farm built in the 15th century which today covers 20 hectares of vines. Now run by two brothers, Nicolas and Sylvain, the family vineyards are located at a place called “The Pressoir” Panzoult in the Chinon appellation at the heart of the Loire Valley. The winemaking here is concentrated solely on the production of red wines made from the Cabernet Franc grape. Nicolas has been at the domaine since 2005 after returning from ten years working as a travelling winemaker, gaining experience in locations as diverse as the Minervois, Chile, Oregon (Adelsheim), Australia (Brokenwood) and New Zealand (Pegasus Bay). His first vintage was in 2006 where he worked alongside his father, Jacques (who had previously been more inclined to sell off the production in cubitainer). Jacques retired, or at least withdrew, in 2008 allowing Nicolas to develop the domaine in the way he intended to continue, converting to organic and biodynamic viticulture. The winemaking philosophy at Grosbois is centred around the idea of micro-site specificity with the various Cabernet Franc bottling's reflecting the 19 unique plots of vines on the Panzoult Hill, all of which had been strategically planted according to their geological characteristics. Once in the cellar, Nicolas lets the grapes speak for themselves, keeping a light hand at winemaking. He ferments in open concrete tanks with indigenous yeast, uses no oak and minimal filtration, so what you find in the final wine is a pure expression of a teeny parcel of Chinon. Pair it with roast duck with peppers. Serve after slight aeration -
Five generations of traditional winemaking from the estate of Roger Champault, modern thermoregulation techniques, and carefully chosen soil matching, have produced a Cuvee that is subtle at first, like the rising of a summer breeze, building in its complexity with wispy herbal notes and abundant florals that dance across the taste buds like wind through an apple orchard. Delicate, yet so very alive. This wine drinks with a lovely, masterfully structured liveliness and sweet, concentrated finish.Thanks to its abundant fruitiness, it is suitable not only for seafood and crabs but also for more abundant fish dishes; fried salmon, pike perch etc. Also suitable for light meat, especially poultry dishes.Curious note, Sancerre Les Pierris 2008 wine was served at the wedding dinner of Princess Victoria and Daniel of Sweden. -
This is an excellent value French Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire valley and resembles the big Sancerre wines of the region . This Petit has nothing petit about it and has an outstanding quality and is very flexible. Can be drunk on it's own or paired with grilled trout, bass or fresh goats' cheese. Jean Paul Seguin winery is situated in the small village of Verdigny in the Sancerre region, the Fournier family has been making wine for many generations. The estate has grown from 5 hectares in 1950 to almost 30 hectares today, divided over the appellations of Mentou Salon, Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre. The improvement made in vinification techniques and the permanent concern about quality result in well-balanced wines of great diversity. Enjoy this wine from the Loire without paying the big prices of its counterparts -
Stone fruit - check! Mineral - check! Floral - check! This wine is definitely ticking off all the right boxes! The minerality of saline and limestone sit on the tip of the tongue and linger through the entire taste. Light bodied, dry, moderate acidity, and a slightly exaggerated finish noted with blanched almonds and lemon rind bring the sip to an end. Time for another! An instant classic from a classic region! The Alain Gueneau Sancerre "La Guiberte" comes from a small family-owned estate at the Eastern end of France's Loire valley. You'll still find the grape's signature citrus freshness and a slight grassiness, but examples from Sancerre lean more towards restraint, minerality, and elegance. The secret is not only in Northern France's cooler climate, but also in the region's soil — a swathe of ancient clay-calcareous deposits that stretches from England's famous white cliffs of Dover across the channel and into Northern France. Alain and daughter Elisa are the 2nd and 3rd-generation of the Gueneau family to farm this land, three quarters of which is planted to Sauvignon Blanc vines with an average age of about 25 years. Enjoy this delicious, refreshing bottle (well chilled, of course!) now or over the next 3 years. -
Roc’h Avel, meaning “the rock of the wind”, is named after a small island off the coast of Brittany. -
At barely 30 years old, Stephane Riffault (Claude’s son and now owner of the estate) is turning out Sancerre bottlings that are the envy of many producers twice his age. As David Schildknecht put it, “make no mistake: this address in the hamlet of Maison Salle (Sury-en-Vaux) is now one of the five or six most exciting estates in the Sancerre appellation.” Given that Stephane’s holdings represent 4 tenths of 1 percent of the appellation, this kid is clearly doing something right. Based in the village of Sury-en-Vaux, the domaine works 33 different parcels in 6 different lieu-dits spread across 4 villages. The 13.5 hectares of vines are plowed and no synthetic material is used. Unlike most Sancerre producers, the entire harvest is carried out by hand and an extensive sorting takes place before the grapes are crushed. Stephane’s wife, Benedicte, leads the harvest team while Stephane manages the sorting and press during harvest. Most of the domaine’s holdings are planted on the soft limestone soil called Terres Blanches with some parcels on calliottes and silex. Small, judicious uses of oak help to add length to the already precise and vertical bottling. All of the parcels are vilified separately and with the exception of the rose, all the wines are bottled unfiltered. Having studied and worked in Burgundy (and closely with Olivier Leflaive), it’s easy to see the Burgundian influence in Stephane’s wines. The mastery of minerality standing shoulder-height with the wood is rarely duplicated in Sancerre. Regardless of the exposition of his parcels (many are south-facing), Riffault’s wines are always crisp and high-cut with a jeweled sort of delineation that speaks to the precision and attention these wines get. These are not your daddy’s (or his daddy’s) Sancerres. -
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Touraine is the savvy place to look if you’re after a Sauvignon blanc which combines great value with great flavour. The Loire is Sauvignon Blanc’s homeland. So it’s no surprise that Loire native, Thierry Delaunay, is passionate about the grape. Decades of his family making wine in the region means he has the pick of the crop when it comes to choosing grapes for his wines. He looks for the best grapes from the best pockets of vines in Touraine – and the results speak for themselves. This Sauvignon is seriously refreshing, seriously citrusy, and seriously good value. You’ll find nothing finer to pair with a goat’s cheese tart. And its more restrained flavour profile makes it a perfect party wine. Santé. -
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"I love you but I am thirsty" Great name that sticks to my mind with new grape varieties as a link between maritime freshness and southern exoticism. An explosive blend that gives an immediate and charming cuvée. The nose captivates with its aromas of white fruits and spices. The palate is round, full-bodied, generous. She lovingly embraces our taste buds for a tender moment of happiness and conviviality. Lovingly white, Lovingly good !!
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