Loire Reds - A deep-rooted sense of authenticity

From Nantes to Saint-Pourçain is an impressive line-up of remarkable and distinctive wines, in total harmony with their terroir and their region. They range from perky Gamays from the Nantes region to zesty Anjou, complex Saumur-Champigny, proud Bourgueil made from the same Cabernet Franc, or Gamay, Cabernet and Côt from Touraine, red Sancerre from Pinot noir and Saint-Pourçain with its gravelly accent – all of them absolute gems.

Not only do the region’s wines – particularly the reds – offer quality and diversity, they also boast the kind of authenticity that wine enthusiasts are increasingly craving. You won’t find any expensive futuristic, architect designed wineries here, and the region’s few chateaux tend to be understated rather than overstated. But what you will find are winegrowers who greet you, who live their passion to the full, with a firm rooting in their home region, in the house where their parents and grandparents before them have lived. This configuration is one that unquestionably appeals to present-day consumers, especially as it comes complete with affordable prices – a case of the region’s wine will often set you back much less than a full tank of petrol nowadays! As Jérémy Lorieux says so rightly when describing his Bourgueil in our feature

report (pages 10 to 25): “These are supple, rounded and accessible wines, both for their flavour and their price tag”. His description is one that applies to all the appellations across this extensive region, and makes

an appropriate conclusion to our report.

By Jean-Paul Burias photographs - courtesy of the estates