June 2026 - Loire Valley

Featuring:

Domaine Jean Pascal Aubron

Domaine Benoit Daridan

This wine club writeup is authored by Gillian Arca.

Happy spring wine club members! Northwest France is our focus this month, specifically the Loire River valley. The history of this area is deep and spans over 2,000 years. Roman settlers and soldiers first planted vines along the river and by the 5th century the area had grown in popularity for viticulture. After the fall of the Roman empire the vineyards were taken over by monks who paid meticulous attention to caring for, classifying and cultivating the vines. Between 1000 and 1300 CE the wines of the Loire Valley were highly prized by royals, often being preferred over the wines of Bordeaux. French nobility built large Chateaux along the river banks which increased the demand for high quality local wines. The river increasingly served as a vital form of transportation allowing wine to be floated down the river towards the Atlantic aiding in international trade. In the late 1870s Phylloxera devastated the vineyards of the area, requiring many grape growers to start from scratch and replant vines grafted onto Phylloxera resistant rootstocks, beginning the modern era of Loire Valley Wines.

Loire Valley

Sub-regions/Varieties/Climate

The Loire valley region of France moves inland from the Atlantic ocean along the Loire River. The sub-region closest to the ocean is Pay Nantais and is centered around the city of Nantes. This area has the most maritime influence which creates a cooler and wetter climate. Summers are hot and humid and winters are mild. The largest and well known sub-appellation is Muscadet Sevre et Maine. This area accounts for almost 80% of the production of wine in Pay Nantais. The main variety here is Melon de Bourgogne which is used to make wines labeled “Muscadet”. The ocean breeze allows the grapes to retain acidity while the ~2,000 hours of sunshine per year provide the heat required for the grapes to fully ripen. These wines have high acidity, fresh citrus, a light body and a signature salinity or saltiness. Many of these wines are made “Sur Lie” which translated means “on the lees”. Lees are tiny dead yeast particles that remain in the wine after fermentation is complete. Allowing a wine to sit on the lees results in added texture, brioche-like aromatics, and a creaminess to the finished wine. Traveling further inland the climate moves to mild maritime with increasing continental influences. 

The sub-regions of Anjou and Saumur sit to the east of Pay Nantais. Here there is slightly more seasonality with warmer summers and cooler winters. The greater continentality here also means less rainfall than in Pay Nantais. Saumur is famously known for its large network of underground caves made from limestone that are now used as sparkling wine cellars. The white wines produced in these two sub-regions are made from the grape Chenin Blanc. These wines are made in both an intense dry style as well as sweet styles with varying levels of residual sugar in the final wine. The reds here are largely made from Cabernet Franc. The style of these wines range from fresh with bright red fruit to more structured age-worthy wines. Cabernet Franc's signature green pepper notes can often show up in these wines.

Farther to the east we have the sub-region of Touraine where the famous areas of Vouvray, Chinon, Bourgueil and Cheverny reside. This area acts as a climate transition zone and has an increased level of continentality. For example Chinon (in the westernmost end of the region) has the highest level of maritime influence whereas Cheverny (in the eastern part) has the most continentality. Broadly speaking, Vouvray produces wines from Chenin Blanc. Chinon and Bourguiel are known for their distinctive Cabernet Franc. Lastly, Cheverny produces unique white and red blends of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay. 

Lastly the easternmost sub-region is Centre-Loire where the famous sub-appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume are. As you can imagine this area has a temperate semi-continental climate with little to no maritime influence. The summers are hot, the winters are cold and there is significantly less rainfall than the other sub-regions of the Loire. Sauvignon Blanc accounts for around 80% of the plantings here, producing wines with minerality, citrus and high acidity. The largest red grape planting is Pinot Noir which produces delicate lighter fruity wines. It is not uncommon to come across wines made from Chasselas, Pinot Gris and Gamay from this area as well.

Domaine Jean Pascal Aubron, ‘Cuvee Elegance’ Muscadet 2024

Winemaker Jean Pascal Aubron is a third generation winemaker. His grandfather founded the estate in 1873 with 11 hectares and by 1983 (when Jean Pascal took over the management of the estate) it had grown to 83 hectares. Organic farming is practiced with minimal chemical use and cover cropping between vines. Cover cropping is the intentional growth of certain plants that replenish nutrients into the soil maintaining soil health long term. 

Our white wine this month is Jean Pascal's Cuvee Elegance Muscadet. This wine is 100% Melon de Bourgogne made from old vines planted in 1980. Fermentation is in stainless steel and aging is done in glass lined underground tanks on the lees for around eight months to one year. The wine has aromas and flavors of green apple, citrus, acacia blossoms and a salinity from the ocean proximity. The zippy acidity is paired with a rich texture from the extended lees aging. This wine would pair very well with any seafood particularly oysters, ceviche or any type of delicate fish. Feta or goat cheese would also compliment this wine well. 

Domaine Benoit Daridian, Cheverny Rouge 2023

Benoit Daridian took over the family estate in 2001 after studying viticulture and oenology and completing his education with two years of experiences abroad in New Zealand and Ribera del Duero (Spain). Benoit is the 10th generation to farm this 15 hectare property. Sustainable agriculture is practiced achieving the HVE3 certification which is the highest level of the French Ministry of Agriculture's official environmental certification requiring farms to comply with rigorous standards around biodiversity, plant protection, fertilizer use and water management. This wine is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Gamay. Cheverny is one of the few appellations that allows the blending of Pinot Noir and Gamay. The grapes are fermented separately in stainless steel with native yeasts. Around 20% of the wine is aged in oak barrels with the rest aged in stainless steel before blending and bottling. This wine is fresh with notes of red currant, tart cherries, soft tannins and high acidity. There are also subtle aromas of spice and earth. This particular wine is very versatile when it comes to food pairings with the ability to go well with roasted chicken, grilled salmon, charcuterie or any light vegetarian dishes. You can serve it chilled or at room temperature.