The Loire Valley stretches from the Atlantic right into central France, a wide range of terroirs allows for all styles of wines; Red, White, Rosé, Sparkling and Sweet.
There are also a number of grape varieties planted, but I am going to focus on Sauvignon Blanc as this is its original home.
These Sauvignons are generally elegant and mineral driven, but each sub-region has its own distinct profile and I have picked out a few below:
We must travel 90km inland from the Atlantic to the city of Tours before we first see Sauvignon. The Bougriers have been crafting their wonderfully aromatic whites here for 5 generations.
South of the city lies the Loire’s newest Appellation, Haut-Poitou (AC since 2011). The limestone soils here yield wines of great minerality such as Cuvée de Brizay.
Further inland, on the Loire’s east bank, we find Pouilly-Fumé, known for smoky “gunflint” aromas, especially notable in Robert Cantin’s wine.
To the Southwest we find a lesser-known but equally-interesting neighbour, Menetou-Salon, Eric Louis’ for example is excellent.
