Loire Valley

**Loire Valley** stretches along France's longest river, running west from the centre of the country toward the Atlantic coast, and is prized above all for elegant, food-friendly whites. **Wines & grapes** — It is a patchwork of styles: crisp Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, versatile Chenin Blanc from Vouvray and Savennières (dry, sweet, and sparkling), light Cabernet Franc reds from Chinon and Bourgueil, and tangy Muscadet made from Melon de Bourgogne near the sea. **Character** — This is one of France's cooler regions, so freshness and bright acidity define the wines, along with a pronounced sense of the varied soils, from flinty limestone to schist. **Good to know** — The valley's sparkling Crémant de Loire and its long-lived sweet Chenins are among France's best-value classics.

Wines

• (Michel Gendrier) Cheverny Envol — Domaine des Huards
• Amadeus — Ludovic Chanson
• Ange — Domaine de l'Ecu
• Arcane — Château de Fosse-Sèche
• Bangarang — Domaine Mosse
• Baron de L — de Ladoucette
• Blanc Etc... — Didier Dagueneau (Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau)
• Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Célestin Brut — Caves Elisabeth
• Brut — Merceron Martin
• Brut — Domaine de Bois Moze
• Brut — The Wine Society
• Brut — Moncourt
• Brut Réserve — Langlois
• Buisson Viaux — Domaine La Grange Tiphaine
• Cabernet d'Anjou — Domaine Roches de Fesle
• Carpe Diem — Domaine de l'Ecu
• Celebration Rosé — The Wine Society
• Chardonnay — Domaine de la Ragotière
• Chaume — Domaine du Petit Métris
• Chenin — Pas Saint Martin