Natural wine from the Loire

The Loire is one of the regions where the natural wine movement took hold early, and many of the most sought-after natural wine producers in France are found here. The distances are great, so the Loire is more several wine areas along the same river than a single region.

Closest to the Atlantic, around Nantes, Muscadet is made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, often aged on its lees (sur lie). In Anjou and Saumur limestone (tuffeau) meets schist, and here Chenin Blanc is made in every style alongside red wines from Cabernet Franc. Touraine is home to Chinon, Bourgueil and Montlouis-sur-Loire. Further east, in Centre-Loire, Sauvignon Blanc is grown in Sancerre and Menetou-Salon, and in the upper reaches towards the Massif Central light red wines are made from Gamay, as in Côte Roannaise and Auvergne.

The producers at PACT in the Loire are Domaine de la Pépière, Bernard Baudry, Domaine des Roches Neuves, François Chidaine, Thibaud Boudignon, Domaine de Bellivière, Domaine Pellé, Domaine Sérol and Henri Chauvet.