Top Ten Loire Wines
If, you want variety and value, then the Loire is a pretty good place to start. You could build a whole supper party around wines from the region and not once pine for Champagne, claret or Sauternes. A Muscadet keeps the bailiffs away.Here are ten tiny beauties to get you going:. Top ten Lories
1.2007 Haut Poitou Loire Valley Red 12.5%vol, France. I might baulk at paying full strike for this, but reckon it's terribly amazing value for around a fiver. A light-bodied mix of gamay, pinot noir and cabernet franc, it's soft, smooth, luscious and extremely gluggable. Perfect with kitchen picnics of cold ham and salad or cheese and chutney sandwiches.
2.2007 Domaine Bailly Quincy 12.5%vol, France (£8.99; Marks & Spencer). Quincy regularly gets overlooked in the charge for Sancerre and Pouilly Fum and as a consequence usually represents high value for sauvignon blanc lovers. This un-oaked example from Domaine Bailly on the banks of the Cher stream is dry yet fruity with a warm finish.
3.2006 Domaine Andr Dezat Sancerre Rouge 12.5%vol, France (£13.95; Berry Brothers & Rudd). Burgundy isn't the sole area in France to make claims pinot noir as its own. Alsace is pretty keen on it and so too is the Loire as seen here. This unblended example has for some time been one of my tops. Ripe and mouth-watering with fine, silky tannins, it can be served chilled and is a great match for langoustine with garlic mayo and green salad.
4.2007 Choteau du Layton Carte d'Or, aboard 12%vol, France (£13.90; Jeroboams 020 7730 8108). The hundred % chenin blanc sweet white wines from Coteaux du Layon are a joy and cracking worth compared to those of Sauternes. With delightful honeyed sweetness and hints of fig and orange, this excellent example has fine fresh astringency and is spot on with tarte tatin or maybe soft blue cheeses.
5.2007 Fief Guerin Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu sur Lie 12%vol, France (£5.99; Waitrose). Muscadet can be dire, teeth-stripping stuff, but this flavorful example is anything except. Bone dry, but incredibly full-flavoured and with a satisfyingly long finish thanks to time on its lees, it calls to be drunk well-chilled alongside a massive write-off-the-afternoon assiette de fruits de mer.
6.Langlois Crmant de Loire NV 13%vol, France ( £7.99 if you purchase two as an element of a mixed case, otherwise £11.99 till Feb third, then £9.99 / £12.49 ; Majestic ). This captivating sparkler from Saumur is a mix of chenin blanc, chardonnay and cabernet franc. It is not madly complicated but it's superbly fresh, frilly, creamy and refreshing. Drink it as a classy aperitif it merits better than to be used simply as a mixer for Bucks fizz.
7.2007 Reserve des Vignerons Saumur Rouge 12%vol, France (£7.50; Nicolas). Cabernet franc can taste a bit under ripe and green, particularly in this price bracket, but this has a wonderful colourful, fresh berry fruit and a hazy edge. Serve at room temperature with tarragon roast chicken or gently chilled with pt de campagne and french baguettes.
8.2007 Domaine des Liards, Montlouis-sur-Loire 13%vol, France (£8.95; Yapp Brothers 01747 860423). Loire consultants Yapp Brothers continue to rootle out delightfully quirky wines from little producers and this is one of my tops: a clean, fresh, apple-crisp, yet lush, un-oaked chenin blanc. Like it with a dish of oysters or griddled trout.
9.2007 Waitrose Sancerre 'La Franchotte ' Joseph Mellot 12.5%vol, France (£10.99; Waitrose). Sancerre can cost up to £30 a pop, so this is fine worth indeed. Made just for Waitrose by the Mellot family (winemakers since 1513) this is crisp and dry-to-almost-off-dry, flinty and citrusy with hints of nettles on the finish. I actually enjoyed it with cod steaks and bacon and mushroom sauce.
10.2006 Damien Delechenau, Touraine-Amboise, Bcarre 13.5%vol, France (£11.95; Stone, Vine & Sun 01962 712351). One of the least-known areas of the Loire, Touraine-Amboise, east of Tours, celebrates 70 years as an appellation contrle this year. With red wines like this, a remarkably pure, fresh and raspberryish cabernet franc, it should be more honored. Try it alongside ham hock with leeks, peas and mash.