Loire Valley Wines
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The Loire Valley is one of France's most diverse wine regions, running 1,000 kilometers from the Atlantic coast inland through a succession of appellations built almost exclusively on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. In the Upper Loire, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé sit across the river from one another on limestone and flint-rich soils known locally as silex and terres blanches, producing Sauvignon Blanc with pronounced mineral tension and citrus precision. Domaine Vacheron and Sylvain Bailly represent the classical Sancerre house style, while Château de Tracy's Pouilly-Fumé draws on one of the appellation's oldest estates. Henri Bourgeois demonstrates Sancerre's lesser-known Pinot Noir potential with Les Baronnes Rouge, and Pascal Jolivet's rosé shows the variety's pale, dry expression. Didier Dagueneau remains the reference point for the region's most age-worthy Sauvignon Blanc.
Description
The Loire Valley is one of France's most diverse wine regions, running 1,000 kilometers from the Atlantic coast inland through a succession of appellations built almost exclusively on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. In the Upper Loire, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé sit across the river from one another on limestone and flint-rich soils known locally as silex and terres blanches, producing Sauvignon Blanc with pronounced mineral tension and citrus precision. Domaine Vacheron and Sylvain Bailly represent the classical Sancerre house style, while Château de Tracy's Pouilly-Fumé draws on one of the appellation's oldest estates. Henri Bourgeois demonstrates Sancerre's lesser-known Pinot Noir potential with Les Baronnes Rouge, and Pascal Jolivet's rosé shows the variety's pale, dry expression. Didier Dagueneau remains the reference point for the region's most age-worthy Sauvignon Blanc.
