The Loire List

Just as we did with German wines back in December, we’re excited to announce our first ever Loire-only offer. Like Germany, this is a hot category right now, propelled by a few groundbreaking producers. By luck, we have most of those big names on hand all at once, so today’s offer could almost double as a “best of” list, with some incredibly rare bottlings included!

While the Loire Valley is largely known in the States for its larger production wineries, we’ve seen a steady rise in small, artisanal producers. Sauvignon Blanc still dominates the landscape—literally and figuratively—but trailblazers like the late Edmund Vatan have inspired the new generation of winemakers to approach the variety freshly, reinventing its possibilities in the glass, the Valley, and the global wine marketplace. Vatan’s wines are second to none in the SB world, transcending both grape and appellation. Incredibly, we have three rare magnums available today.

Chenin Blanc is having a moment right now, and for good reason. Whether dry, off-dry, or sweet, the wines can age effortlessly for decades, and offer serious enjoyment along all steps of their evolutions. Oh—and they can cost a tenth of similar quality whites from other, more prestigious appellations. Today we’ve got a diverse sampling of the Chenin’s go-to stars: Guiberteau and Eric Morgat on the dry side, and Baumard and Huet on the sweeter side.

Finally, we cap things off with reds. Cabernet Franc is the king of reds in the Loire, producing wines of truly unique character. Gone are the days of unrestrained sauvage, though. Today, even traditional producers are releasing Francs that are pure, clean, and dare we say finessed… while still retaining some of that characteristic wildness (which we love). Guiberteau has several on offer today, across two vintages and bottlings. And we close with the rarest wine in the Loire: Marc Plouzeau’s pre-Phylloxera Clos Maulevrier, made from 160+ year old vines. Folks, this is one of those “wines to try before you die” bottles. It’s a stunning example of how variety, terroir, and time all work in concert to elevate wine out of the realm of consumer good and into the realm of art. Truly, this wine has no equal. And with less than 1,000 bottles produced, and only about a case available today, you’d better act fast if you want to cross this off your bucket list.