Superb 2025s from Robin Carette, Plus More Loire Favorites!
Superb 2025s from Robin Carette, Plus More Loire Favorites!
Click here to read the original article from our September 19th, 2026 newsletter.
Change the "View as" style below to read more info on the wines, and click on a wine for the full tasting note.
Carette, Robin 2025 Les Salines Chenin
Les Salines comes from Robin's younger Chenin Blanc vines, aged 5-30 years old and planted on sandstone and gravel soils in Bonnezeaux. The wine is racked once after fermentation and aged two thirds in barrels and one third in stainless...
$24.99
Carette, Robin 2024 Les Salines Chenin
Les Salines comes from Robin's younger Chenin Blanc vines, aged 5-30 years old and planted on sandstone and gravel soils in Bonnezeaux, though the 2024 includes some grapes from his older vines (60-90y/o) as well since he did not bottle...
$24.99
Carette, Robin 2025 Venus Chenin
Venus is a new Chenin from Robin, coming from his Bonnezeaux vines and aged in older barrels to give a bit more weight and texture compared to Les Salines. There is wonderful balance and tension, with beautifully ripe pear and...
$31.99
Carette, Robin 2025 Piha Chardonnay
Piha is 100% Chardonnay planted on sandy quartz soils, aged entirely in satinless steel tank for seven months. It's a lean and forward style of Chardonnay with a nice balance of crisp apple fruit and mineral cut. It's a good...
$24.99
Carette, Robin 2025 Ringo
Robin Carette's light and lovely "Ringo" is a blend of Grolleau and Cabernet Franc grown in schist soils of the Anjou Noir. The wine shows a very bright light red color, with pretty aromas of rose and raspberry, citrus and...
$23.99
Carette, Robin 2025 Redrum
This is an electric Pineau d'Aunis consisting of two-thirds estate fruit (younger vines planted in 2022) and one third purchased fruit from 50 year old vines in Martigné-Briand. The grapes are destemmed and see seven days maceration. It's a bit...
$25.99
Carette, Robin 2024 Hitachi
This is a delicious pet-nat rosé made of about 50% Chenin Blanc, 25% Chardonnay and 25% Pineau d'Aunis. It spends 18 months on the lees. It's a pale and dry bubbly rosé that's bright, crisp and refreshing. There's subtle fruit...
$26.99
La Grapperie 2024 La Belle Egarée
We were particularly impressed with the 2024 La Belle Egarée when tasting recently. It's all Chenin Blanc coming from a blend of different sites in Bueil-en-Touraine and Dissay-sous-Courcillon. Vines are aged 10 – 120 years, grown on silex, clay, and...
$46.99
La Grapperie 2024 Adonis Pineau d'Aunis
This is a beautiful Pineau d'Aunis coming from a blend of different sites in Bueil-en-Touraine and Dissay-sous-Courcillon. Vines are aged 4 – 80 years, grown on silex, clay, and limestone on Southern-exposed slopes up to 100m above sea level. The...
$37.99
Tue-Boeuf 2025 VDF Pineau d'Aunis
The Puzelats source tiny quantities of Pineau d'Aunis, mainly from neighbor vigneronne Valérie Forgues, who organically tends and hand harvests her hundred-plus-year-old vines. 2015 was their first vintage of this bottling. The wine is aged for 6 months in old...
$36.99
Tue-Boeuf 2025 La Butte VDF Gamay
100% Gamay on clay and flint over limestone, organic and biodynamic farming. La Butte or "the hill" is a small parcel of old vines (around 90 years old) in the Touraine appellation. A small percentage of the fruit is of...
$28.99
Tue-Boeuf 2025 Cheverny Rouge Gravotte
"La Gravotte" from Clos du Tue-Boeuf is majority Pinot Noir with a bit of Gamay grown in a 1.2 ha vineyard on clay with flint over limestone of Blois, aged for 8 months in 400L and Burgundy barrels. This is...
$42.99
Tue-Boeuf 2025 Cheverny Rouge Rouillon
50% Pinot Noir, 50% Gamay from small parcels of clay and flint soils over limestone of Blois. "Rouillon" is consistently one of our favorite reds from Cheverny and the 2025 vintage is no exception. Drinking remarkably fresh with bright crunchy...
$32.99
Ferme du Mont Benault 2025 Petits Cailloux Blanc
The 2025 Petits Cailloux Blanc is a delightful dry white made from Grolleau Gris and Chenin grown on clay/red schist soils. Cerified organic, with minimal added SO2 and low alcohol, about 11.5%, The nose is lovely with citrus, quince and...
$19.99
Ferme du Mont Benault 2023 VDF Pièce du Saule
Stéphane Rocher's 2023 "La Pièce du Saule" is from 70 year-old Chenin Blanc vines grown on volcanic "rhyolite" soils, also found in Richard Leroy's vineyard "les Noels de Montbenault." Organic farming, one year aging in tank and sandstone jarres, minimal...
$34.99
Ferme du Mont Benault 2023 VDF Pierres Bleues
Stephane Rocher's 2023 "Les Pierres Bleues" is a superb Chenin Blanc from 70 year-old vines, grown on blue basalt "splite" soils. Meticulous organic farming, careful harvesting, aging in tank and sandstone jarres with minimal SO2. Very pale gold color, subtle...
$33.99
Ferme du Mont Benault 2025 Petits Cailloux Rouge
The 2025 Petits Cailloux Rouze is a delightful Anjou red made by the talented Stéphane Rocher at La Ferme du Mont Benault in Faye D'Anjou. Grolleau, Cabernet Franc and Pineau D'Aunis grown on red schist soils, 40% carbonic maceration, 60%...
$19.99
Ferme du Mont Benault 2024 VDF Les Mûriers
The 2024 "Les Muriers" is made with a 2 week semi-carbonic maceration, from Pineau D'Aunis (in cuve) and Cabernet Franc (in jarre/amphora) grown on red schist soils. Bright red/black color, lovely aromas of black raspberry, cherry, earth, violet, white pepper....
$24.99
Ferme du Mont Benault 2024 VDF Strawberry Fields
The 2024 "Strawberry Fields" is a sensational sweet (yes, sweet!) Rosé made from 80% Pineau D'Aunis and 20% Gamay de Bouze, with about 60 gr/L RS. (think of the superb sweet Pineau D'Aunis "Les Giroflées" from Belliviere). The wine shows...
$19.99
Ferme du Mont Benault 2022 Grappe de Bulle
Stephane Rocher's 2022 "Grappe de Bulle" is a beautiful Blanc de Noirs, 100% Cabernet Franc from 45 year-old vines grown on sandy green schist soils, aged 3 years sur lie. Organic farming, 20 mg/l total SO2. Pale gold color, delicate...
$27.99
Source du Ruault 2024 Saumur Blanc Salut a Toi
Jean-Noêl Millon at La Source du Ruault has 13 hectares on turonian limestone in Saumur-Champigny, organic since 2007 and using biodynamic methods. The 2024 "Salut a Toi" is Chenin Blanc, age in concrete "eggs" showing very pretty Chenin aromas and...
$21.99
Source du Ruault 2021 Saumur Blanc La Coulée D'Aunis
Jean-Noêl Millon at La Source du Ruault has 13 hectares on turonian limestone in Saumur-Champigny, organic since 2007 and using biodynamic methods. The Source du Ruault "Coulée D'Aunis" is from a beautiful south-facing vineyard near the Loire river on Turonian...
$27.99
Source du Ruault 2023 Saumur-Champigny Rouge
Jean-Noêl Millon at La Source du Ruault has 13 hectares on turonian limestone in Saumur-Champigny, organic since 2007 and using biodynamic methods. The "regular" Saumur-Champigny is from younger vines on clay and sandy soils over the limestone; the wine is...
$19.99
Source du Ruault 2023 Saumur-Champigny Sensei
Jean-Noel Millon's La Source du Ruault is in Varrain with vines near those of Antoine Sanzay and Roches Neuves. The cuvée Sensei is from 100% Cabernet Franc grown on clay soils over Turonian limestone, harvested late seeking a full, round...
$24.99
