Discovery The Loire Valley Red

Discover the red grape varieties of the Loire valley, in this case you will find 3 very different wines from the Loire valley, the first one is Cent visage from Jean-Francois Merieau, it’s made of Cot grapes which is the local name for Malbec. But don’t expect something very heavy and astringent, this Cot is extremely smooth and soft, the perfect red summer wine but it needs a bit of decanting and to be served at room temperature.
The second is a Cabernet Franc, probably the dominant grape for red wines from the Loire,
The wine is called la Dilettante, which means in French something like the lazy one, because it’s so easy to drink.
Domaine Breton have been certified organic for many years and this wine brings out the easy drinking Cabernet Franc with discreet tannins a very fruity wine.
And the last one is from the most southern part of the Loire valley where the main grape varieties are Pinot noir and Gamay.
I have chosen a Pinot noir from a young winemaker called Florent Barichard, the wine is called Les Cailloux, the stones, because of the plot of land being full of big stones which enhances the drainage and obliges the vines to dig very deep to find water, deeper in the soil they get a lot of nutrients and this makes very rich and complex grapes.
It’s a surprisingly nice Pinot noir for it’s money.

Price
£97.80 per case
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Country
France
Region
Loire

In this case

2018 Touraine, Cent Visage

Domaine Merieau
2 bottles
From £15.50 per bottle Buy case of 6Find out more

2016 Bourgeuil, La Diletante

Domaine Breton
2 bottles
From £18.90 per bottle Buy case of 6Find out more

2017 Vin de Pays, Les Cailloux

Domaine des Terres d'ocre
2 bottles
From £14.50 per bottle Buy case of 6Find out more

Producers

Domaine Merieau
France

The Vignoble des Bois Vaudons estate spreads over 35 hectares across the hillsides on the banks of the Cher River, its rich and complex soils ensuring the production of a range of wines that are varied and rich in colour while supporting vines that encompass the young to the ageless.  The estate has been run
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Domaine Breton
France

After setting up in 1989 and converting to organic agriculture the following year Catherine and Pierre Bretton precide over vineyards in the Bourgueil, Chinon and Vouvrey regions, evolving and creating truly special wines that continue to turn heads and please palettes.  Indeed, the different appellations provide varied soil types; the Bourgueil offering gravel, limestone and
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Domaine des Terres d'ocre
France

After travelling the southern hemisphere garnering experience in New Zealand and South Africa, Florent Barichard settled back in his homeland in 2013 on the sandy terrains of Châtel-de-Neuvre. With the support of his aunt and uncle, Valérie and Éric, he divided up his 9.5 hectares vineyard, dedicating a third of it to white grape varieties
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