The Domaine la Haute ‎Févrie lies 18km southeast of ‎Nantes, right in the middle of the ‎Muscadet Sèvre et Maine appellation. The estate’s vines grow on ‎the hills overlooking the Sèvre, ‎between St Fiacre and Monnières, enjoying optimum ripening ‎conditions and producing highly expressive Muscadet.

This is a very pure, clean and traditional Muscadet which spends seven months on its lees. The resulting wine is rich and aromatic on the nose with notes of cut grass, zesty lemon, as well as nutty and steely aromas from the lees. The palate is very fresh with zingy citrus and Granny Smith apple, with the acidity to boot. Once again the lees add complexity and some body, and there is a delicate saline note on the finish. A great match for all foods from the sea.

This wine is named after the two-hectare south-facing vineyard from which the fruit is sourced. Benefitting from a clement climate  (grapes ripening 10 days earlier here than in Sancerre), Denis not only grows grapes, but also tends to a forest of oak trees from which his barrels are made.

The Mabileau family have reportedly been making wine since 1620. They currently own 28 hectares in the Anjou and have been making wine following biodynamic methods since 2007, following their philosophy that as a grower it is their responsibility to maintain the equilibrium in their soils.

On the nose this displays delicate crunchy red fruit with a soft, leafy note typical of Cabernet Franc. The mid-palate has lovely pure red fruit flavours moving to a good freshness on the finish. A great wine for food matching. Drink now to 2019. Pair with a plate of charcuterie, duck dishes or even red mullet.

Patric Coulbois founded his winery in 1974 and has since strived to create concentrated wines with a true mineral expression. This cuvée is from vines grown on kimmeridgean marne which is rich in fossilized shellfish. The wine shows generous aromas of gooseberry, citrus blossom and leafy nettle on the nose and similar fruit flavours on the palate which is well rounded and ends with a classic smoky mineral finish. Try with creamy cheeses and fresh asparagus.
Oliver Barton - Wine Buyer

One of the most respected Loire estates, the Dezat family's 38 hectares cover six villages in Sancerre and four in Pouilly-Fumé. Simon and Louis Dezat represent the fourth generation, taking the domaine to new heights by making incremental changes to improve the wine. More time is now spent in the vineyard, fine-tuning the vines, while a sorting table has been recently adopted to select only the healthiest fruit. Their ripe, understated Sancerre delivers year-in, year-out.

A cool, refined mineral nose shows subtle hints of leafiness and green fruit. This wine has great purity and restraint as is the style of André Dezat’s whites.
The body is reasonably full thanks to the warm summer of the 2015 vintage but the wine does not show tropical notes, instead it focuses on fresh citrus aromas, culminating in a delicately mineral finish. Perfect with goats’ cheese salad or poached trout.

A classically pure and restrained white true to Andre Dezat’s style. It shows nuances of chalk and smoky flint on the nose and the palate has a lovely zing with leafy gooseberry and citrus fruit, moving to a pleasingly long and clean finish focussing on smoky minerality. The clement 2015 vintage has provided a reasonable full body and therefore this will be the perfect partner to meaty white fish such as Monkfish or Halibut.

Stéphane Riffault has a fully justified reputation as on the finest vignerons of his generation. Taking over from his father Claude in the 2000s, each year he has refined his interpretation of each of his very individual vineyards, 13.5 hectares spread over six different sites, all geologically different. Purity, intensity and authenticity are the hallmarks of the domaine.

Les Boucauds is Stéphane’s biggest plot of Sauvignon, with vines up to 50 years old, deeply rooted in its clay and limestone soil. Half of the wine is barrel-aged for up to eight months and, for a Sancerre, the wine is full and rich, dry and with a lovely balance of crisp fruit and minerality.