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Sancerre: Combat Fatigue
featured, France: Loire
, Aug 2024
Nature can be a fickle beast, giving just as quickly as it takes away. The rollercoaster ride that elements have put on in recent years has left the grape growers of Sancerre and surrounding appellations exhausted. Their hopes rise as steeply as the Mont Damné slopes before being dashed over and over again. And yet the sun rises each morning, bringing the possibility that this might be the day when their luck changes.
Loire Chenin Blanc: Chaume the Way
featured, France: Loire
, Jul 2024
Searching for its soul as well as sales, the Loire’s Chenin Blanc producers hope the creation of crus for dry whites will improve quality and their reputation on the world wine stage.
Loire Reds: Beyond the Unicorn
featured, France: Loire
, Jan 2024
When it comes to Loire Valley reds, there is one cult producer whose bottles consistently steal the limelight: Clos Rougeard. Following the inauguration of its revamped winery, financed by the Mariana-Trench-deep pockets of its new owners, it’s timely to consider the impact of this unicorn on local producers and international consumers.
Loire Chenin: Dividing Lines
featured, France: Loire
, Oct 2023
Chenin Blanc producers in the Loire Valley are not just divided geologically but ideologically, with widely varying interpretations of place of origin. Throw two contrasting vintages into the mix, and the diversity of the region’s latest releases is dizzying.
Book Excerpt: Vintage Crime – A Short History of Wine Fraud
featured, New Zealand, France: Loire
, Oct 2023
In her new book Vintage Crime – A Short History of Wine Fraud, Rebecca Gibb MW tells the history of wine through some of the most well-known cases of fraud, in addition to less well-documented incidents that intrigued Rebecca personally.
Sancerre’s Charm Offensive
featured, France: Loire
, Jul 2023
Two thousand and twenty-two provided another warm, dry summer in Sancerre, but the wines have achieved a harmony they failed to capture in previous hot seasons. It’s time to explore why this is a more consistent and balanced vintage.
Cellar Favorite: 1971 Marc Brédif Vouvray Grande Année
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Loire
, May 2023
I cannot deny that I’ve proselytized the 1971 vintage to the point where I must sound like the most scratched record in my vinyl collection (namely, a war-torn copy of With The Beatles handed down by my nan and kept for sentimental reasons). But it is true that you can travel the globe from wine region to wine region and find marvels that continue to drink well. Case in point, this gorgeous Loire that I chanced upon in London recently. I am a big fan of mature Vouvray, and Brédif seems to have a treasure trove of mature vintages.
Sancerre Sees Red
featured, France: Loire
, Dec 2022
Prices of red Burgundy seem to show no sign of easing. In the search for an alternative, wine lovers may head east toward Germany or further afield to New Zealand and Oregon. However, a mere two-hour drive from the Côte de Nuits lies an often-overlooked Pinot Noir region, sitting on coveted ground.
Chenin Blanc: Wait a Sec
featured, France: Loire
, Sep 2022
No two seasons are alike in the Loire these days. In addition, the reality is that dry wines are far easier to sell today than off-dry and sweet wines. Looking at 2020 and 2021 in the context of current trends, the question remains: while the market clamours for dry Loire Chenin Blanc, is the move towards drier styles in the wines’ best interests?
Sancerre: Finding Its Place
featured, France: Loire
, Aug 2022
Forget the grape behind Sancerre, local producers are increasingly keen to push their individual vineyards. With records showing the Sancerrois were using the term “climat” before the Burgundians and with hundreds of individual sites today, it’s important to acknowledge their history, but I wonder if the world demands such detail from Sancerre, or if its winemakers are trying to push wine uphill.