Summer wines: 5 Loire whites
1000 km. That's the length of the river we invite you to follow in just five bottles. So we had to choose and leave the wines of Auvergne and Vendée on the bank. The journey begins in central France and follows the course of the river to Muscadet, just outside Nantes. Here we come across Sauvignon, Chenin and Melon B grapes (no longer called Melon de Bourgogne, it was confusing). What all these wines have in common is their fresh, easy-to-digest character, which makes them ideal for summer drinking.
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Florian Mollet - Domaine Roc de L'Abbaye (1)
White
Pouilly-Fumé
2021
A pretty Pouilly that smells of chalk right from the start. With aeration, notes of citrus and warm stones emerge. On the palate, the Sauvignon grape takes over, producing a well-balanced, straightforward wine with a lively, sharp finish. It's best served young, with a few oysters.
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Domaine Les Souterrains (2)
White
Touraine Sauvignon
2021
A young Touraine that's still pearly, offering classic boxwood and blackcurrant bud notes on the nose with finesse and elegance. On the palate, it's just as aromatic, fresh and long, with clean fruitiness and hints of licorice on the finish. Very long and persistent, it should be opened as an aperitif with this frankness.
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Domaine Arnaud Lambert (3)
Saumur white
Les Perrières
2020
This Chenin has a straightforward, fine nose of fresh quince, pear and ripe apple. The palate is beautiful, balanced, silky and perfectly taut on the finish. The bitter finish makes it ideal for a contrasting pairing with creamy fish.
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Domaine Asseray (4)
Blanc d'anjou
Boxer Blanc
2019
A lovely, very ripe nose for this pure Chenin offering a hint of white honey, yellow fruit and mineral notes. On the palate, the barrel ageing, without marking the wine, opens it up perfectly, giving it fullness and roundness to best express its pineapple and roasted fruit notes. Good length, with minerality and exotic notes once again. A few gambas sautéed with spices will be a perfect accompaniment this summer.
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Domaine de Bellevue (5)
White muscadet-sèvre-et-maine
Gabbro - Clos des Bouquinardières
2018
Jérôme Bretaudeau delivers here the cuvée "Gabbro", a muscadet that must be tasted to know what a great Nantes wine is. Full-bodied, lively and vibrant, it retains great balance even though it is uncommonly fat. To be opened and served blind to preach the good word to friends who are resistant to the region.
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Follow the chenin
The king of the Loire grape varieties, also widespread in South Africa, "ch'nin", as the people of the Loire pronounce it, has the extraordinary ability to produce dry white wines as well as semi-dry, sweet, syrupy and even sparkling wines, commonly known as fines bulles. Complex and demanding, it is nonetheless endearing.
Should we trust the medals on the bottles?
On a supermarket shelf, similar-looking bottles of wine are lined up at slightly contrasting prices. Without a salesperson, in a time-constrained food shopping area, a sticker placed like a jewel cuts through the act of purchasing. Gold, silver or bronze medals flash more brightly than a label that's not always easy to decipher. Award-winning wine, featured wine An award-winning wine is one that has been presented by the winery at one of the 127 competitions that award these precious badges (in 2024, according to the DGCCRF). The famous Concours Général Agricole, founded in 1870, the world's best Chardonnay or Sauvignon competitions, the Brittany or Mâcon wine competitions, the Millésime Bio challenge... There's an embarrassment of riches to choose from, with no limit on participation, but not without a heavy hand in the wallet. For each cuvée entered, you'll need to pay between 10 and 150 euros, depending on the competition, not including postage and packaging costs and the purchase of macaroons in the event of victory. Attractive spin-offs A potentially interesting calculation, given the commercial visibility these awards bring. In the year following the award, sales of the vintage tend to increase by between 20% and 40%. A boon for the estate, event organizers and supermarkets alike. All the more so as the medals are pouring in. In 2025, at the Concours Général Agricole, of the 12129 wines entered, 3361 were awarded medals, almost half of them gold. French legislation prohibits the awarding of more than a third of the samples presented. A quota with which most competitions flirt. Amateur jury Who awards these accolades? A volunteer jury, at their own expense. Mostly amateurs. The great need for people leaves little room for rigor or traceability. In 2025, at the Concours Général Agricole, over 7,000 people were needed to taste charcuterie, cheeses, jams and wines. At this year's Chardonnay du Monde competition, more than 300 jurors took part, with a limit of 20 samples per person. The most famous estates, which don't need to boost their sales, tend to neglect these competitions. Artisanal wineries, on the other hand, may shy away from these competitions as a matter of distinction, since the shiny stickers are associated with supermarkets. A place where it takes the place of good professional advice. A wine merchant, for example, capable of selling the uniqueness of a cuvée he has followed over the years.
Fabrice Pouillon: his champagne method
Fabrice Pouillon is the third generation to run the family domaine at Mareuil-sur-Aÿ in the Marne region of France, and he has an intrinsic respect for the heritage he has inherited: respect for the vines and for fine work. Constantly questioning himself, curious and eager to experiment, the Champenois celebrates his 26th harvest this September.
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