Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame: Moulin de l'Horizon Virtuose Red

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 red-wine appellation in the Saumur district of the Loire Valley, centred on the village of Le Puy-Notre-Dame south-west of Saumur. Granted AOC status in 2009, it is made predominantly from Cabernet Franc - a minimum of 85% - grown on clay-limestone (tuffeau) soils that give the wines structure and depth. Typically fuller-bodied and more age-worthy than Saumur Rouge, they show ripe dark fruit, fine tannins, and the fresh acidity characteristic of Loire reds. A small, quality-focused appellation, Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame offers some of the district's most serious and expressive Cabernet Franc.