REGION: Loire

"One of Pouilly-Fumé's Best Producers" -Robert Parker Alain Cailbourdin came to Pouilly-Fumé to work harvest while attending university and never left, buying a 2ha silex-laden parcel in 1980. Since then, his reputation has grown exponentially, with wines of complexity and intense minerality.

André Neveu, owner and winemaker of his eponymous domaine in the tiny village of Chavignol, has been making wine for over 45 years. Today, he and son-in-law Thomas produce several terroir-specific white Sancerres-- some of the best out there.

Antoine Sanzay is the seventh generation of the Sanzay family to farm vines in the village of Varrains. With 11 ha of prime sites in the limestone haven of Saumur-Champigny, including 4 ha of the famed Les Poyeux lieu-dit, Antoine is widely considered one of the finest growers in all of the Loire.

Domaine de L’Enchantoir, run by the dynamic Brunet family, sits on a remarkable site of largely ancient limestone that was recognized by the creation of the appellation “Saumur Puy de Notre Dame”. The domaine has worked organically since 2010, making balanced and textured Chenin and Cabernet Franc.

“Using the same farming [organic] practices that created his reputation in Montlouis, [Jacky] has created a host of dramatic wines that have helped add new life to the reputation of the appellation [Bougueil]. These are without any doubt among the finest Bourgueils being produced today.” -Vinous

Domaine de la Géraudrie is a 5th generation, family-owned Muscadet estate in the village of Château-Thébaud. One of their flagships is the Clos de la Géraudrie, a top vineyard in the region, sitting on that famed solid granite that gives the wine its distinct crunchy and mouthwatering minerality.

“Jacky Blot is a revolutionary figure in Montlouis. His wines at Domaine de la Taille aux Loups have become a benchmark for dry Chenin. Committed to organic growing, Blot set out to make among the first single site Chenin. Over three decades, Jacky Blot has helped put Montlouis on the map.” - Vinous

Philippe Foreau is the third generation of the Foreau family to produce Vouvray from this fabled domaine which his grandfather purchased in 1923. Philippe assumed the direction in 1983 upon his father André's retirement. Today, the domaine consists of 11.5 hectares planted to Chenin Blanc.

Gilles Crochet's grandfather Lucien Picard was one of the pioneers to bottle Sancerre in the region and sell them in Paris in the early 1950s. Today, the vineyards of Domaine Lucien Crochet cover 35 hectares, with soils that overlie calcareous clay rock and an Oxfordian or Kimmeridgian subsoil.

The village of Quincy is located 50 miles west of Sancerre on the left bank of the Cher river. This lovely Loire region is known as an excellent source of crisp, mineral-driven Sauvignon Blanc. The Mardon family (making wine since the 1800s) produce the best and most complex Quincy available.