Jasnieres: Olivier Champion Origine Sec

The Loire is France's longest river, running almost 400km from the Massif Central westwards to the Atlantic, and gives its name to one of the country's most diverse wine regions. Spanning some 57,000 hectares across Loire-Atlantique, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, and the Centre, it produces the full range of styles - fresh, light whites from Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, elegant reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Gamay, plus sweet and sparkling wines. Its western vineyards enjoy a maritime Atlantic climate, while the more easterly Centre is cooler and continental, and its chalky limestone soils help the wines retain their signature freshness and acidity. Home to 69 appellations, including the famous Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, the Loire offers something to please every palate.

A rare and characterful white-wine appellation in the northern Loire Valley, set on a single south-facing slope along the river Loir (a tributary of the Loire) in the Coteaux du Loir area. Made exclusively from Chenin Blanc grown on clay-limestone and flinty soils, its wines are traditionally dry to off-dry, though sweeter styles appear in ripe vintages. Known for their pronounced minerality, vibrant acidity, and notes of quince, citrus, and honey, they can be austere in youth but age superbly over many years.