2011 Domaine Vincent Careme Vouvray Tendre, Loire Valley, France
Faintly sweet and delicately floral, with an undercurrent of minerality and tightly wound acidity, this Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley speaks to Vouvray’s most memorable qualities. Vincent Careme has experience producing Chenin quite literally… Read more
2011 Mai et Kenji Hodgson ‘O Galarneau’ Vin Rouge, Anjou, Loire Valley, France
Mai and Kenji Hodgson might not entirely look the part of natural winemakers in France — one is from British Columbia and the other is from Japan — but this clear tasting, unfussy Cabernet Franc fits the mold. Roasted red pepper jam and dark plum… Read more
2010 Sebastien Bobinet ‘Greta Carbo,’ Saumur-Champigny, Loire Valley, France
Bobinet’s name graces some of the most delicious, drinkable wines from the Saumur region, and so it’s no surprise that his are a staple at some of Paris’ hottest restaurants. Food friendly and yet hardly vapid or light, this Cabernet Franc from… Read more
2010 Clos du Tue-Boeuf Cheverny Rouge, Loire Valley, France
Thierry and Jean-Marie Puzelat aren’t new to natural winemaking, but it’s not for reverence or cultish personality that so many wine caves and restaurants in Paris serve the brothers’ wines. Nor is it for the fact that their estate has some historic… Read more
2010 Marc Plouzeau (Château de la Bonnelière) ‘Les Cornuelles’ Chinon, Loire Valley, France
Chinon may be off the radar for many wine drinkers more accustomed to the “big guns” of Burgundy and Bordeaux, but it’s decidedly home to some of the more in-vogue reds, including Rene Mosse’s interesting cuvees. Compared to Mosse, Plouzeau’s… Read more
2011 Marc Plouzeau Sauvignon Touraine, Loire Valley, France
Though not one of Plouzeau’s entirely biodynamic/natural wines, this entry-level Sauvignon is a standout for its piercing acidity and verve. Green apple, lime and flint minerality deserve in-season oysters or, in the summer, a bitter salad of… Read more
2009 Sebastien Riffault ‘Raudonas,’ Sancerre, Loire Valley, France
Riffault’s wines are made in the most natural of styles, without fining, chemicals or added sulfur. As a result, they’re always interesting — and even more interesting with age (one might say, an experiment). Three-four years later, this wine is… Read more
2010 Domaine Huet Clos Du Bourg Demi-Sec, Vouvray, Loire Valley
Domaine Huet is synonymous with top-flight Chenin Blanc, and is perhaps more remarkable for its across the board consistency year-end year-out than for individual bottlings. And of course, that isn’t to say anything bad about the quality of the… Read more
2011 Marie Thibault-Cabrit La Roue Qui Tourne, Loire Valley, France
Marie Thibault-Cabrit, having trained with Francois Chidaine in Montluis, is certainly among the up-and-coming winemakers being watched right now by anyone trying to find the next cult winemaker in Loire. This isn’t the real deal just yet, but it’s… Read more
2009 La Source du Ruault Saumur Champigny, Loire Valley, France
100 percent biodynamic Cabernet Franc offers up peppery, briary Japanese green plums under a blanket of damp mushrooms and roasting red peppers. In the mouth, furry tannins should mellow with time, as should slightly apparent alcohol. MSRP:… Read more
