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EDITORIAL
SYLVAIN PATARD - EDITOR IN CHIEF
LOIRE REDS – A DEEP-ROOTED SENSE
OF AUTHENTICITY
Let’s be honest – there are no superstar red wines
from the Loire Valley. No local equivalent of the
Rhone’s Côte-Rôtie or Bordeaux’s Saint-Emilion.
But what there is, is a profusion of talent. From
Nantes to Saint-Pourçain is an impressive line-up of
remarkable and distinctive wines, in total harmony
with their terroir and their region. They range from
perky Gamays from the Nantes region to zesty Anjou,
complex Saumur-Champigny, proud Bourgueil made
from the same Cabernet Franc, or Gamay, Cabernet
and Côt from Touraine, red Sancerre from Pinot noir
and Saint-Pourçain with its gravelly accent – all of
them absolute gems.
Not only do the region’s wines – particularly the reds
– offer quality and diversity, they also boast the kind
of authenticity that wine enthusiasts are increasingly
craving. You won’t find any expensive futuristic, architect-designed
wineries here, and the region’s few
chateaux tend to be understated rather than overstated.
But what you will find are winegrowers who
greet you, who live their passion to the full, with a
firm rooting in their home region, in the house where
their parents and grandparents before them have
lived. This configuration is one that unquestionably
appeals to present-day consumers, especially as it
comes complete with affordable prices – a case of the
region’s wine will often set you back much less than a
full tank of petrol nowadays! As Jérémy Lorieux says so
rightly when describing his Bourgueil in our feature
report (pages 10 to 25): “These are supple, rounded
and accessible wines, both for their flavour and their
price tag”. His description is one that applies to all the
appellations across this extensive region, and makes
an appropriate conclusion to our report.
6 SPRING 2022 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE