Of all the world’s great red wines, those from the Loire Valley may receive the “least respect in proportion to their superb quality,” said Eric Asimov in The New York Times. Loire reds pair well, though, with all kinds of food, “including, surprisingly, Asian cuisines.” For a recent tasting, we stuck to the easier-to-acquire Chinon and Bourgueil appellations. These three stood out:
2007 Domaine de la Butte Bourgueil La Pied de la Butte ($16)
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
2007 Catherine & Pierre Breton Bourgueil Nuits d’Ivresse ($22)
I loved this wine’s “freshness and earthy complexity.” Flavors range from “smoky fruit” and minerals to herbal accents. Nuits d’Ivresse means “drunken nights,” and this wine definitely drinks easily.
2006 Olek-Mery Chinon Cuvée des Tireaux ($19)
This refreshing wine boasts “rich aromas” and tastes of “red fruits and earth.”
-
Film reviews: ‘Send Help’ and ‘Private Life’Feature An office doormat is stranded alone with her awful boss and a frazzled therapist turns amateur murder investigator
-
Movies to watch in Februarythe week recommends Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the depths of winter
-
ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance icebergIN THE SPOTLIGHT Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy
