France’s longest river winds through vineyards that are as diverse as they are distinctive. The Loire, stretching from the Atlantic at Nantes to the Auvergne’s volcanic uplands, is home to more than 34 Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) and one Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) across 14 départments.
Often dubbed the ‘Garden of France,’ it produces wines that partner seamlessly with the region’s gastronomic staples – from goat’s cheese and rillettes, to fresh seafood seasoned with Guérande fleur de sel (a fine sea salt), savoury cave-grown mushroom dishes, and sweet tarte tatin.
What sets the Loire apart is its stylistic spectrum. Few wine regions offer such range: sparkling, still, rosé, red and sweet wines all thrive here.
In June 2025, Decanter conducted a non-blind tasting in partnership with Loire Wines. The wines tasted spanned the vineyard areas of Nantes, Anjou-Saumur and Touraine: out of more than 100 wines, the following are our top picks in each category.
Vineyards in the commune of Montsoreau. Photo supplied by: InterLoire
Crémant de Loire: A best-kept secret
Crémant de Loire, recognised as a PDO in 1975, remains one of France’s best-kept sparkling secrets. Made in the traditional method, it delivers the freshness of traditional-method sparkling styles at a fraction of the price.
Louis de Grenelle, Platine Crémant de Loire Blanc Brut NV
92pts
60% Chenin Blanc, 40% Chardonnay. A vigorous Crémant de Loire from Louis de Grenelle, an estate that dates back to 1859, the Platine blends Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. The three are fermented separately and then blended to age on the lees for 12 months. There’s an upright character to the citrus aromatics, along with smoke and white wildflower potpourri. The palate is fresh with generous bubbles; toasted almonds, preserved lemon and savoury wild herbs show sophistication and a classic profile.
Alc 12%
Domaine des Aubuisières, Cuvée Ysance Vouvray Brut NV
93pts
100% Chenin Blanc. A fantastic Brut Vouvray from Domaine des Aubuisières, this wine shows how serious Crémant from the Loire can be. 100% Chenin Blanc from Vouvray, which spends 18 months on its lees. On the nose, bruised apples and honeyed pear flesh arrive together with a touch of dried white flowers and cardamom. The palate shows class: the richness of ripe orchard fruit and classic hints of toasted brioche and roasted almonds are carried into the finish by ample freshness and brilliant perlage.
Alc 12%
Muscadet, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc
Still whites dominate. Muscadet, on the Atlantic coast, gives saline, mineral wines shaped by ocean winds and granite soils. Move inland and Chenin Blanc takes centre stage: versatile enough to produce bone-dry, orchard-fruited wines, textured demi-secs, and the honeyed, long-lived sweet wines of Coteaux du Layon, Quarts de Chaume and Vouvray. In the eastern Loire, meanwhile, Sauvignon Blanc yields precise, mineral wines that have become global benchmarks.
Château Guipière, La Grange, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2023
93pts
An astoundingly rich and complex Muscadet from a domaine that dates back to 1842, near the mouth of the Loire as it spills into the Atlantic. Notes of toasted almond skin, preserved lemon and blossom. The palate shows beguiling nuance: macerated stone fruit, ripe apricot skin, bruised yellow apples and wet lambswool. A beautiful expression of place and tradition.
Alc 12%
Vignoble Alain Robert, Les Charmes, Vouvray 2023
94pts
From a family estate founded in 1973, a delightful dry Chenin from Vouvray with electric minerality and brilliant, lively fruit. Aromatics of nectarines, peach fuzz and camomile tea. The palate is loaded with juicy peaches, ripe, sweet Anjou pear flesh and a succulence on the finish of rich lemon curd. A brilliant bottle of wine.
Alc 12.4%
Domaine Biet, Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine 2024
92pts
The mineral intensity from this young wine is so impressive. From vines of up to 60 years of age planted near the Cher river, this Sauvignon Blanc offers verve and electricity in its aromatics. Smoky notes of chipped flint and grilled lemon peel are followed by salty sea spray. The complexity on the palate for a wine at such a reasonable price is surprising. Salty, savoury and loaded with bright citrus depth – wonderful.
Alc 12.5%
Reds and rosés to delight
Rosé accounts for a substantial share, from pale, easy-drinking Cabernet d’Anjou to more structured styles from Touraine or Saumur. Reds, often overlooked, range from juicy, chillable Gamay and Grolleau to the region’s great calling card: Cabernet Franc. In Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny, it shows remarkable nuance – perfumed, supple and drinkable young, yet capable of developing savoury complexity with age.
Clotilde Legrand, La Chaintrée, Saumur Champigny 2016
94pts
100% Cabernet Franc. La Chaintrée is aged for three years in neutral oak, producing a wine that, at nearly 10 years of age, shows the undeniable nobility of Saumur-Champigny Cabernet Franc. Intense fruit aromas of red and blue wild berries, deep violet florals and notes of pine tips. The palate shows silken brilliance, fresh juicy strawberries, wild dried mint leaves and a lingering saline zip. Quite a wine.
Alc 13%
Domaine Pré Baron, La Rousselière Guy Mardon Pinot Noir, Val de Loire PGI 2024
92pts
A taut, vibrant Pinot Noir with racy salinity and a minty buoyancy that balances the round, ripe fruit character. From estate-grown vines in the heart of Touraine, this wine shows savoury brilliance on the nose, with saline minerality and savoury mint. The palate is ripe and fleshy, with ample tannin and a brilliant fruited polish that extends into its red-fruit finish, framed by black tea and dried anise.
Alc 12.5%
Catherine et Pierre Breton, La Ritournelle Rosé, Bourgueil 2024
91pts
A delicious, crisp Loire rosé crafted with direct-pressed Cabernet Franc fruit from the Bourgueil PDO. Aromas of Fuji apple skin, lively raspberry leaf and white pepper transition to a palate of spiced, wild green strawberries, creamy notes of orange ice cream and crushed-granite minerality.
Alc 12.5%
Domaine Nicolas Paget, Grolleau Rosé, Touraine Azay-le-Rideau 2024
90pts
Straightforward and airy, with aromatics of cut early-season strawberry, fresh basil leaf and mint, with crushed-granite minerality. The palate is zesty and electric, with lively notes of salted watermelon and tart cranberry.
Alc 12%
A diversity of styles
Scale reinforces this diversity: some 42,000ha under vine, 34 Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) and one Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) together produce around 280 million bottles annually. The Loire leads France in white wine production and sits second for both rosé and sparkling. Terroir underpins the breadth.
The Atlantic west brings maritime influence to Muscadet; Anjou’s schist (Anjou Noir) contrasts with clay-limestone (Anjou Blanc); Saumur rests on chalky tuffeau, ideal for cellaring both wines and bottles of Crémant de Loire; Touraine’s mix of chalk, sand and flint supports multiple varieties; while in the eastern part of the Loire, silex, terres blanches and caillottes yield Sauvignon Blanc of crystalline precision.
For drinkers, the Loire can be a labyrinth, but one worth exploring. Few regions reward curiosity so richly, offering benchmark styles alongside hidden gems, all with a consistency of value that makes the Loire not just France’s quiet giant, but one of its most dynamic regions.
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Scores were generated as part of a blind tasting held in partnership with Vins de Loire. All wines were tasted blind and supplied free of charge to feature in paid-for content.
