Loire 2023 Releases

This parcel is quintessential Chinon: at the top of the hill overlooking the Loire river, its flood plains, and the charming eponymous town. It is named after the huge and statuesque oak tree that grows at its edge. Its excellent position affords it good ripening and drainage. The soil here is clay and sandstone, and produces a wine with a pretty red fruit structure, and some distinctively spicy notes. In 2020 its ripeness and freshness chime in harmony. The wine has a lighter frame than that of the Varenne and Dioterie, and a long, elegant finish.

This is unquestionably the flagship wine of the Joguet estate. The vineyard lies right next to the domaine and was the first single vineyard that Charles Joguet championed. Its north-east facing slope and old vines planted on clay-limestone soils produce a wine with outstanding energy, spice, and density. It is profoundly deep but with no heaviness. There is such a sweet intensity to the Cabernet Franc fruit, and a mouthwatering salinity ensuring excellent ageing potential.

This is the domaine’s ‘newest’ parcel, bought in 1976. Located near the cellar, in the south of the Chinon appellation, this is like a mini Clos de la Dioterie, on deep clay-limestone soils with colluvial topsoil. It typically shows great balance between tannins and acidity, so smooth and composed in 2020. It glides to an effortlessly elegant and long finish.

This Pinot is all vinified and aged in stainless steel tank. This method helps capture the variety’s purest fruit, which in this case is ripe raspberries and redcurrants, with a charming minty lift. There’s a subtle graphite note running through the palate. Persistent and delicately light-boded at the same time. Served a little chilled this will be a thirst-quenching delight.

2021 was a tricky year to get Pinot right in Sancerre. So instead of ploughing on as usual, Luc took the brave decision to make a wine that sits at the stylistic antipathy of his natural proclivity for full-bodied, structured Pinot. He handled the 2021 fruit with a light touch, using 100% whole bunch, and a short maceration with a light pressing. The resulting wine is light, bright, refreshing and wonderfully drinkable - what the French call 'digeste'. It has the prettiest accent of that noble vegetal lift you get in the best Loire reds. It will make a great aperitif red, excellent if served a little cooled.

This is such a juicy, inviting delight. It has wonderfully primary floral notes, and Cabernet Franc’s structured freshness. Zappy and delicious, and brilliant if served a little chilled.

Pierre de Tuf is Jérôme's stand-out cuvée. It's made from a blend of two parcels of Cabernet Franc, both planted in the 1940s. He uses an incredible fifteenth-century tuffeau cuve, hewn into the wall of the old cellar, to do a long, slow fermentation. This method brings out the delicious complexity in this old vine Cabernet Franc. 2020 is the first vintage that this wine sees 24 months ageing before bottling (previous vintages had seen 18 months). This allows the wine time to knit together, so that it feels composed, powerful, and elegant once in bottle. The tannins of 2020 are still fairly forthright, but with the succulent ripeness of black fruit behind them, the wine shows impressive balance. There's a whisper of smoke and violets on the nose, and a deep fruit core on the palate promising great ageing potential. It remains outstanding value for money.

As the name suggests, this fruit comes from the top of the slope. The fruit feels darker than that of the Pied de la Butte, and the tannins are more present. It shows very sophisticated and clean fruit on the nose, with a whisper of mineral, iodine smoke. Taut tannins and a surprisingly dense finish round off an impressive wine.

All the fruit for this blend comes from two parcels found at the bottom part of the slope. Some vines here are as old as 80 years, so although the attack of this wine is juicy, upfront, and invitingly drinkable, the finish is sustained and persistent with that old vine concentration taking this above a simple easy-drinking wine. It’s got a wonderful sour cherry note, with lightly smoky notes. This always works well in its youth.

This is the sweet spot of Domaine de la Butte - from right in the middle of the slope - and as such, produces the most complex and ageworthy of this triptych. Jacky and Jean-Philippe hold the wine back for an extra six months in the cellar before release as they know: this wine needs time. Its huge concentration and tannic stature are matched to slightly more new oak than the other wines. The density of fruit is more than a match.

This is one of the most unusual and exciting wines we have on the list. It is made from Malbec, a variety that has long been grown in the Loire, known locally as Côt. Today it’s hard to find much Côt, and this wine gets snapped up quickly every year. The 2020 has a ripe abundance of juicy black fruits, dry, well-formed tannins, and a bright balance on the palate.

This reigns supreme as the perennial red wine bargain of the list. After a short period of ageing the wine is bottled, and even in its first year it offers an upfront, fruity and refreshing style of Cabernet Franc, with lots of red cherry fruits and detailed little tannins and a floral lift. The grip is perfectly pitched, and it will drink well immediately.

This is an excellent introduction to Saumur Rouge, with its sweet, leafy red fruit and silky tannins. Juiciness par excellence. Father-and-son team Michel and Thibaud Chevré are showing themselves to be every bit as skilled with reds as with whites, which is little surprise given Michel’s long career working with master of Cabernet Franc, Thierry Germain.

The Pinard brothers are the leading authority on Sancerre Rouge. This comes from a blend of parcels in the village of Bué, thought to be the best source of Pinot Noir in the Sancerre appellation. 50-year-old vines and low yields of around 30hl/ha give wonderful concentration. This means volumes are small, and demand far outstrips supply for this wine. It has deliciously fresh, ripe red fruit at its core, and silky tannins, it is an exceptionally well made Pinot Noir in any context. Wonderfully rich yet vibrant. 30% whole bunch.