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Loire Profiles

Here I present my Loire profiles by region, beginning with Muscadet and then moving upstream, through Anjou, Saumur and Touraine, up to the Central vineyards. A detailed categorisation by true appellation was tempting, but with more than 70 such appellations, and with many producers listing several I naturally resisted. Where the domaine crosses even these broad boundaries (such as Pithon-Paillé, where you can find Chinon and Bourgueil alongside the Anjou specialties) I have listed them only once, wherever it seemed most appropriate.

My profiles may also be viewed in a simple alphabetical list. I have also included links here through to the relevant wine guides.

• Muscadet: Guide to the Muscadets, and other wines of the Pays Nantais.

• Chéreau-Carré (21/2/08) One of the top domaines of the Nantais.
• Domaine de l'Ecu (5/8/04, last updated 11/2/09) Top, biodynamic, Muscadet producer.
• Jo Landron (17/2/09) Fine Muscadet from Domaine de la Louvetrie.
• Pierre Luneau-Papin (29/11/07, updated 20/5/09) A leading light in the Nantais.
• Louis Métaireau (12/11/03, updated 28/1/09) One of Muscadet's best known estates.

Anjou is where the appellation boundaries are most blurred; a typical Anjou domaine might produce a Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume alongside the Anjou Blanc and Savennières. For that reason I have listed all my Anjou domaine profiles in a single block.

• Coteaux du Layon: A guide to the Coteaux du Layon and its crus.
• Anjou: My guide to the wines of Anjou & Savennières.

• Patrick Baudoin (24/3/09) A good range of Anjou and Coteaux du Layon.
• Domaine des Baumard (6/7/04, last updated 12/9/07) Some superb wines here.
• Chateau Bellerive (22/6/04, updated 7/5/08) Superb Quarts de Chaume.
• Domaine Cady (30/5/02) Philippe Cady produces lovely Coteaux du Layon.
• Nicolas Joly & Clos de la Coulée de Serrant (14/10/03, last updated 26/2/09)
• Philippe Delesvaux (5/8/04, updated 21/7/09) Superb Coteaux du Layon.
• Chateau d'Epire (5/8/04) Old fashioned Savennières produced here.
• Chateau de Fesles (23/8/02, last updated 11/8/09) Source of fine Bonnezeaux.
• Domaine FL (12/3/09) Anjou, Savennières and more from Philippe Fournier.
• Domaine des Forges (27/4/06, updated 29/10/08) Wines from the Branchereau family.
• Chateau de la Genaiserie (10/3/06) Great Coteaux du Layon from Yves Soulez.
• Domaine aux Moines (11/10/07) Savennières from Monique and Tessa Laroche.
• Domaine de Montgilet (4/8/09) A leading source of fine Coteaux de l'Aubance.
• Domaine Mosse (9/3/10) Organic wines from Agnès and René Mosse.
• Vincent Ogereau (13/9/07) Leading Coteaux du Layon vigneron.
• Chateau Pierre-Bise (18/9/03, last updated 19/3/09) An impressive showcase of wines.
• Jo Pithon (20/7/04, updated 13/3/09) A profile of the domaine, pre-Fournier.
• Pithon-Paillé (10/3/09) Jo Pithon's new venture with Joseph Paillé.
• Domaine des Rochelles (11/9/07) Fine Anjou from the Lebretons.
• La Ferme de la Sansonnière (23/11/06, updated 28/4/09) The wines of Mark Angeli.

• Saumur & Saumur-Champigny: My guide to these Loire appellations.

• Bouvet-Ladubay (14/8/07, updated 01/01/08) A leading producer of MT Saumur.
• Chateau de Chaintres (20/6/06) Leading Saumur domaine run by Krishna Lester.
• Domaine Filliatreau (27/6/06) Top Saumur Champigny from the Filliatreau family.
• Chateau du Hureau (6/6/06) Lovely, minerally Saumur Champigny here.
• Langlois-Chateau (16/8/07, updated 14/5/08) Top Crémant de Loire, but Saumur too.
• Domaine de Nerleux (16/6/06) Fine Saumur Champigny from the Neau family.
• Project Cabernet Franc (7/10/08) A 2008 tasting of Loire Cabernet Franc.
• Domaine des Roches Neuves (18/4/06) Extraction and oak from Thierry Germain.
• Clos Rougeard (9/10/08) The wines of the Foucault brothers.
• Antoine Sanzay (3/3/09) An up-and-coming Saumur-Champigny vigneron.
• Chateau de Villeneuve (27/1/09) The wines of Jean-Pierre Chevallier.

• Chinon & more: The wines of Chinon, Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil.

• Philippe Alliet (29/8/07, last updated 10/2/09) One of the top domaines for Chinon.
• Yannick Amirault (28/8/07) Quality Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil.
• Bernard Baudry (6/12/05, last updated 19/2/09) Another of Chinon's leading domaines.
• Catherine & Pierre Breton (16/10/08) A profile of Catherine & Pierre Breton.
• Domaine de la Butte (2/6/09) Top quality Bourgueil from Jacky Blot.
• Lydie & Max Cognard-Taluau (21/8/08) Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil.
• Pierre & Bertrand Couly (2/9/09) A new Couly domaine, born in 2008.
• Couly-Dutheil (8/11/05, last updated 2/9/09) A Chinon stalwart, home to Clos de l'Echo.
• Pierre Jacques Druet (31/1/06, last updated 2/9/08) Fine Bourgueil vigneron.
• Charles Joguet (29/10/03, last updated 15/4/08) Leading Chinon estate.
• Domaine de la Lande (4/4/06) Classic Bourgueil from Marc & François Delaunay.
• Frederic Mabileau (28/2/06) Wines from Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil.
• Olga Raffault (25/9/07, updated 3/9/08) Fine Chinon, particularly from Les Picasses.
• Wilfrid Rousse (20/12/05) Chinon vigneron with a fine taste in weathervanes.

• Vouvray & more: My guide to the wines of Vouvray, Montlouis & Jasnières.

• Domaine des Aubuisières (31/8/04) A stunning portfolio from Bernard Fouquet.
• Domaine Champalou (19/8/04) Elegant Vouvray from Catherine & Didier Champalou.
• François Chidaine (18/8/09) Top biodynamic wines from Vouvray & Montlouis.
• Domaine Deletang (5/8/04) Appellation leader in Montlouis.
• Philippe Foreau (19/8/08) Fabulous Vouvrays from a top-class domaine.
• Domaine Huet (2/10/03, last updated 20/8/08) A brilliant array of wines.
• François Pinon (5/8/08) Excellent Vouvray from this ex-psychoanalyst.
• Prince Poniatowski (16/11/06, updated 18/8/09) Mature Vouvray from Polish royalty.
• Domaine de la Taille aux Loups (5/5/09) Vouvray & Montlouis from Jacky Blot.

Here I profile the leading estates of Jasnières, Cheverny, Cour-Cheverny and the generic Touraine appellations.

• Domaine de Bellivière (3/1/08, updated 23/6/09) Fine Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir.
• Domaine de la Charmoise (12/6/07) Charming wines from Henri Marionnet.
• François Cazin (21/1/09) Sappy and delicious Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny.
• Thierry Puzelat (25/8/09) And the wines of Clos du Tue-Boeuf.
• Clos Roche Blanche (1/12/09) Cult Touraine wines from Barrouillet & Roussel.

• Central Vineyards: Not just Sancerre, but Menetou-Salon and more.

• Henri Bourgeois (16/9/04) Top Sancerre domaine and négociant.
• François Crochet (16/2/10) Superb, terroir-driven wines.
• Pascal Jolivet (18/3/08) Dynamic vigneron specialising in Sancerre & Pouilly-Fumé.
• Alphonse Mellot (20/5/08, updated 1/9/09) Superb Sancerre.
• Henry Pellé (5/8/04, updated 29/12/09) Leading producer in Menetou-Salon.
• Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy (23/5/06) Two brothers with an up-and-coming domaine.
• Chateau de Tracy (5/8/04) Good source of Pouilly-Fumé.
• Domaine Vacheron (5/8/04, updated 27/2/09) Biodynamic Sancerre.
• Domaine de Villargeau (25/9/08) Nice wines from the Coteaux de Giennois.

See my other Loire tasting notes for odd bottles that don't fit into my profiles.