The Loire

Style – Classical

The Loire Valley is one of the most diverse and expansive regions France. In fact, it spans so far that it’s best thought about as a number of different sub-regions. The vineyards tend to flank the Loire River and its offshoots. Starting from the Atlantic coast in the West, home of Muscadet, through to Anjou, Saumur and Touraine in the middle, all the way to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, the region as a whole is about 600 miles long. With each sub-region possessing its own microclimate, terroir and history, it’s no surprise that the Loire valley offers a plethora of different wine styles and is home to a real community of natural wine makers. From age-worthy Chenin Blanc, both dry and sweet; flinty, electric Sauvignons; herbaceous Cabernet Franc; classic Crémants and everything in between. Of course, we’re always excited to get our hands on some of the lesser known varieties - aromatic Grolleau Gris; electric Menu Pineau; perfumed Pinot d’Aunis, the list goes on. The wines of the Loire are as enchanting as the picturesque, châteaux-laden region itself. Diverse, exciting, and vibrant - a place very close to our hearts, being the region that we first imported our own wine as Wayward Imports. We encourage you to check out our selection!

Mikaël Bouges
La Bulle 2023

A bit like biting into a crunchy red apple right out of the fridge, the wine is whistle-clean, zippy and fresh. Gentle notes of underripe strawberry, tart bramble berries and a twang of rhubarb lead into savoury bitters in the finish. Find out more.

  • Region Touraine, Loire, France
  • Grapes Côt (Malbec) & Gamay
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£24.50

Quantity

Mikaël Bouges
Clic Clac 2023

Electric Touraine pet nat from a producer with a deft hand for the style. A refreshing balance of zippy green apple and lemon citrus, opening to ripe pear and melon. The overall character is unmistakably Loire and makes for a note-perfect aperitif. Find out more.

  • Region Touraine, Loire, France
  • Grapes Menu Pineau & Chardonnay
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£23.50

Quantity

Mikaël Bouges
Water l'Eau 2022

A restrained, nuanced wine made with 100% old-vine Menu Pineau, grown over alluvial limestone gravel. A pale green-gold in the glass, with shy citrus aromas, on the palate there is a delicate balance of pear and green melon, with trademark stony mineral inflections. Find out more.

  • Region Touraine, Loire, France
  • Grapes Menu Pineau
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£26.50

Quantity

Pierre Borel
'Clos de Pavée' Bourgueil 2021

A fresh, young-vine Bourgueil with plenty of bright red cherry fruit, herbaceous capsicum aromas and dark chocolate bitters in the finish. Plush, bright and an incredibly versatile wine for the table. Find out more.

  • Region Bourgueil, Loire, France
  • Grapes Cabernet Franc
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£24.50

Quantity

Mikaël Bouges
French Clara 2023

Less steely and with softer edges than his more classical staple 'La Pente de Chavigny', this feels open and expressive, but never anything other than laser-beam linear. Juicy green apple, elderflower and ripe pear come together in a salivating meld, with a line of raw lemon citrus cutting it all through - without intervention, none of Mikaël’s whites complete malolactic, giving the wine some good vibrancy and edge. Find out more.

  • Region Touraine, Loire, France
  • Grapes Sauvignon Blanc
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£22

Quantity

Mikaël Bouges
Prométhée 2022

Like all of Mikaël's wines from the dry 2022 vintage, there is a chiselled structure and profound minerality, the vines having reached deep down to the limestone bedrock for nutrients. White peach and spices with taut acidity and a delicate, honeyed quality, neatly balanced out with a pronounced salty minerals. A wine of precision and poise. Find out more.

  • Region Touraine, Loire, France
  • Grapes Chenin Blanc
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£26.50

Quantity

Laurent Saillard
La Pause 2023

Another beautiful cuvée from Laurent’s Roche Blanche estate. La Pause is made from 100% Gamay from 50-year-old vines. Wonderfully silky, with an abundance of ripe red fruits, a light spice and a real elegant depth. Find out more.

  • Region Touraine, Loire, France
  • Grapes Gamay
  • Vineyard Organic & Biodynamic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£28.50

Quantity

Mikaël Bouges
Les Couilles d'Anes 2021

A serious wine with a silly name - Couilles d'Anes translates as 'donkey balls', a colloquial term coined by the local vigneron to describe the unusual black stones that can be found dotting the vineyard soils in certain locations. A delightfully aromatic vintage, bright cherry and bramble fruits meld with a violet perfume in the glass. Find out more.

  • Region Touraine, Loire, France
  • Grapes Côt
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£28

Quantity

Sold out

Mai & Kenji Hodgson
La Grande Pièce 2021

Even at full maturity, as here, Grolleau produces light, low alcohol wines with lots of acidity and an earthy quality. The Gamay adds some bright cherry fruits and stony minerality. Lots of freshness this year in this brilliant, quintessential Loire red. Find out more.

  • Region Anjou, Loire, France
  • Grapes Grolleau & Gamay
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£33.50

Mikaël Bouges
La Pente De Chavigny 2023

The 2023 vintage marks a return to the style of his 2021 vintage, more rounded than the lean 2022, with pear drops and zippy citrus by the mouthful. Find out more.

  • Region Touraine, Loire, France
  • Grapes Sauvignon Blanc
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£21.50

Quantity

Mikaël Bouges
Les Côts Hauts 2022

Inky Malbec (the eponymous Côt) that is much brighter and crunchier than most would expect of the grape. As always with Mikaël's wines, there is a noticeable mineral imprint; that hard-to-define aspect of wet stones or patio paving following rain on a hot day. Find out more.

  • Region Touraine, Loire, France
  • Grapes Malbec
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£21.50

Quantity

La Petite Soeur
Globule Blanc 2022

This warmer vintage has rendered a plush, perfumed wine that pairs ripe stone fruits, smoke and anise to beautiful effect. On the palate there is tension and minerality sitting in perfect balance with ripe fruits. Find out more.

  • Region Anjou, Loire, France
  • Grapes Chenin Blanc
  • Vineyard Organic & Biodynamic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£33.50

Quantity

Mai & Kenji Hodgson
Les Aussigouins 2021

As a broad stroke one could describe Les Aussigouins as a more amped-up sister to Faia - the production is the same, it is the qualities in the raw materials that make it unique. The fruit is opluent and richly textured, with beautiful, long acidity that points to this being a wine built to go the distance. Find out more.

  • Region Anjou, Loire, France
  • Grapes Chenin Blanc
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£50

Quantity

HPW
Vins Hodgson Harvest 2022

A one-off cuvée from our friends Joel (Wrights Wines), Sean and Andy. A wine they made using stellar grapes from the vines at Vins Hodgson, where they worked on the 2022 harvest. Find out more.

  • Region Anjou, Loire, France
  • Grapes Chenin Blanc
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, no additional sulphites
£36

Quantity

Mikaël Bouges
La Pente De Chavigny 2022 MAGNUM

A limited, large-format magnum bottling of Mikaël's entry-point white made with 100% Sauvignon Blanc from a mixture of five different parcels, each planted over gravelly limestone. The grapes are direct-pressed, then fermented and raised in steel for a pristine, bone-dry and whistle-clean style. Find out more.

  • Region Touraine, Loire, France
  • Grapes Sauvignon Blanc
  • Vineyard Organic
  • Cellar Fermented with native yeasts, unfiltered & unfined, minimal additional sulphites
£46.50

Quantity