Loire Valley
Spanning from the Central Vineyards in the east to Nantes in the west, passing through Torraine and Anjou-Samur, the Loire Valley is a vast and varied wine region shaped by the river's influence. The region's diverse terroir is characterized by a continental climate in the east and a maritime climate in the west.
Renowned for its exceptional dry white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, the Loire Valley offers a captivating selection with crisp acidity, expressive fruit flavours, and mineral notes. Notable white wine appellations in the Loire Valley include Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Vouvray, and Savennières. Leading producers of white wine in the region include Domaine Vacheron, Domaine Huet, and Domaine Didier Dagueneau.
In addition to its white wines, the Loire Valley produces charming red wines made from Cabernet Franc. Ranging from light and fruity to more complex and age-worthy, these red wines are known for their vibrant acidity, subtle tannins, and bright red fruit flavours. Key appellations for red wines in the Loire Valley include Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny. Notable producers of red wine in the region include Domaine Bernard Baudry, Catherine & Pierre Breton, and Domaine Charles Joguet.
The Loire Valley also produces excellent sweet wines and sparkling wines. Sweet wines are made from Chenin Blanc grapes affected by botrytis, a fungus that concentrates the sugars in the grapes, resulting in luscious sweetness, honeyed flavors, and vibrant acidity. The most famous sweet wine appellations in the Loire Valley include Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume. Sparkling wines, known as Crémant de Loire, are made using the traditional method and offer excellent value for money with finesse, delicate bubbles, and refreshing character.
Loire Valley
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Loire | 1 | 95 (VN) | HK$1,860.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)The 2019 Saumur Champigny Clos de L'Echelier is round and gently calm, almost meditative, but the chalky soil keeps things fresh and moving along despite the warmth of the growing season. There's delicacy on the midpalate and chalky finesse and fine tension on the lengthy finish, which is scented with red fruits and flowers. Outstanding stuff. |
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Loire | 2 | - | HK$3,005.00 | |||||
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Loire | 1 | 94 (VN) | HK$1,670.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)Hailing from a sandy site planted in 2004, the 2019 Saumur Champigny Franc de Pied is the last wine that its maker Thierry Germain serves up. It's like a fondant potato melting in your mouth with its silken ease; it has breadth too, although with the seeming weight of air. This is a touch savory, and a hint of leather sits in the background, but it adds rather than detracts from the complexity. Scented, lengthy finish. |
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Loire | 2 | 94 (VN) | HK$2,805.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)The 2020 Franc de Pied is incredibly reductive when it was first opened and needed a lot of time and a swirl with a copper coin. If you can be patient (5 minutes with a penny in your glass, or your currency's equivalent), it's worth the wait. It reveals itself to be a richly fruited, savory style that fills the mouth with a balloon of chalky silkiness. The limestone element really shows itself on the long finish, all finely grained texture and sinew. As you'd hope from Saumur-Champigny, there's no sense of weight or heft. Delectable now but has the structure to develop over the coming two decades. |
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Loire | 10 | - | HK$2,715.00 | |||||
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Loire | 8 | - | HK$2,340.00 | |||||
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Loire | 1 | 93 (WS) | HK$1,440.00 | |||||
Wine Spectator (93)Vivid, with a lovely beam of cassis and dark cherry puree racing through, flanked by hints of graphite and alder and scored by flashes of bay, olive and sweet tobacco through the finish. A Loire red lover's dream. Drink now through 2026. 42 cases imported. |
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Loire | 14 | - | HK$2,250.00 | |||||
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Loire | 1 | 96 (VN) | HK$4,495.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)From vines planted in 1904 that sit on both flint and limestone, which is a rare combination in Saumur-Champigny, the 2019 Les Memoires is all purity of coulis-like fruit. It offers incredible concentration yet floats in the mouth like a weightless cloud. If there were a Cabernet Franc equivalent of Chambolle Musigny, this would be it. I love it. The finest of chalky tannins are just present on the finish, as if to remind you this is a red wine. |
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Loire | 1 | 96 (VN) | HK$2,125.00 | |||||
Vinous (96)From vines planted in 1904 that sit on both flint and limestone, which is a rare combination in Saumur-Champigny, the 2019 Les Memoires is all purity of coulis-like fruit. It offers incredible concentration yet floats in the mouth like a weightless cloud. If there were a Cabernet Franc equivalent of Chambolle Musigny, this would be it. I love it. The finest of chalky tannins are just present on the finish, as if to remind you this is a red wine. |
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Loire | 2 | 94 (VN) | HK$3,720.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)The 2020 Les Mémoires is a round and elegant Cabernet Franc. It's a not-trying-hard wine that exudes a sense of calm and ease as it rolls around your mouth seamlessly. Maybe it's the 100-year-old vines doing their thing. There's no oak getting in the way, allowing the purity of fruit to shine. It remains true to its variety and place, while its light spice meets dark fruits. Forget the fruit flavors, this is all about refined texture and its fine, chalky, powdery veil of tannins lightly coating the palate. Long and textural, this is not a wine you'll regret... |
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Loire | 12 | - | HK$2,805.00 | |||||
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Loire | 1 | - | HK$3,285.00 | |||||
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Loire | 2 | 90 (VN) | HK$3,285.00 | |||||
Vinous (90)A fascinating natural wine experiment (only 2,000 bottles). Four months maceration in amphora, then eight months in very old barrels. Aromas of wild berry and earth and that natty “Brooklyn funk.” Once you move past the nose, it’s relatively straightforward on the palate, offering cherry and earth and plenty of stony notes, fine tannins and a cozy but stony finish. Might still be a little young. |
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Loire | 10 | 92 (WA) | HK$1,840.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (92)From the commune Chacé and the lieu-dit Les Poyeux and vines averaging 35 to 45 years old rooting in a calcareous terroir, the 2019 Saumur Champigny Terres Chaudes opens with a lovely fresh and aromatic bouquet of perfectly ripe and concentrated dark and red berries that intermingle with peppery and discreet nougat notes. Lush and silky on the palate, this is a beautifully fruity Cabernet Franc with a serious tannin structure and a salty-vital, refreshing, pure and crunchy finish. A really fabulous wine that is irresistible. Tasted in June 2021. |
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Loire | 53 | 92 (VN) | HK$1,940.00 | |||||
Vinous (92)Limestone, clay and ripe, cooked raspberry with a hint of spice. At first it has an open structure but then concludes relatively firm and tannic for a Roches Neuves. Combines with a line of fresh acidity making for a taut conclusion. |
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Loire | 20 | - | HK$1,940.00 | |||||
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Loire | 7 | - | HK$1,805.00 | |||||
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Delight in the taste of expertise with the esteemed Thomas Sancerre Blanc Le Pierrier 2022. Produced in the renowned wine region of Sancerre in France, this exquisite Blanc expresses the perfect balance of minerality and freshness, thanks to the meticulous care applied during its vinification. Each grape is handpicked from south-facing slopes that bear the Pierrier’s distinctive Flint terroir, ensuring optimal maturity and distinct flinty undertones. The venerable producer, Thomas Sancerre, continues its long-standing tradition of winemaking excellence using sustainable practices, safeguarding, and enhancing the authentic characteristics of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. This wine shows off rich, complex flavours of citrus and white fruit, complemented by an invigorating acidity and an impressively long finish. Suitable for ageing, the full-bodied profile of Thomas Sancerre Blanc Le Pierrier 2022 offers wine aficionados a truly sophisticated experience! |
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Loire | 2 | 88 (VN) | HK$2,100.00 | |||||
Vinous (88)Hailing from several different parcels belonging to the Vacheron family in the frost-affected, cool 2021 season, the 2021 Sancerre Blanc is fresh and fragrant. A mouthwatering style that skips along like a lamb on a spring day. It has just-ripe pineapple, gooseberry and even a tang of green pea in a rather varietal way. The finish is very lightly chalky, as if it is a mere sprinkling. Makes for excellent refreshment. |
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Loire | 10 | - | HK$4,100.00 | |||||
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Loire | 10 | - | HK$2,040.00 | |||||
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Loire | 20 | - | HK$2,495.00 | |||||
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Loire | 10 | - | HK$4,200.00 | |||||
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Loire | 1 | - | HK$1,740.00 | |||||
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Loire | 1 | 93 (VN) | HK$6,100.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)The 2018 Sancerre Blanc Les Romains offers lovely textural depth and fine balance. Lemon confit, marzipan, spice and floral notes add that extra bit of pliancy and resonance that gives the wine its soft curves and open-knit personality. Best of all, the 2018 will drink well right out of the gate. |
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Loire | 11 | 93 (VN) | HK$3,525.00 | |||||
Vinous (93)The 2018 Sancerre Blanc Les Romains offers lovely textural depth and fine balance. Lemon confit, marzipan, spice and floral notes add that extra bit of pliancy and resonance that gives the wine its soft curves and open-knit personality. Best of all, the 2018 will drink well right out of the gate. |
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Loire | 10 | - | HK$4,050.00 | |||||
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Loire | 4 | - | HK$2,885.00 | |||||
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Loire | 1 | - | HK$7,050.00 | |||||
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Loire | 2 | - | HK$3,810.00 | |||||
