The appellations of Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir are known almost exclusively to wine-world insiders. Small in size, they are hidden away around fifty kilometers north of Tours, on the slopes of Loir in the Loire basin. Getting there is a form of pilgrimage for oenophiles. Just ask Eric Nicolas. Originally from Paris, Nicolas and his family settled there twenty years ago to become a vigneron—and one with convictions.

The Nicolas family work with thirty plots spread over five communes. They farm and work biodynamically. Also, the vines are plowed, cropped, and harvested manually. The Nicolas’ are seriously hard workers. And they’re equally visionary: they now enjoy a reputation that is inversely proportional to the size of their AOCs. To put it bluntly: the Domaine de Bellivière make fantastic wines.

Bellivière’s chenins are among the most interesting delights of the entire Loire region. There is something infinitely alluring to their minerality and general disposition. Their Vieilles Vignes Éparses and Calligramme must be put in the cellar for several years before being opened.

Until a few years ago, the appellation of Montlouis was fairly quiet. The recent surge of interest in the region is largely due to the wines of François Chidaine and to his impact as a mentor-figure to the area’s young winemakers. In fact, the wines of his domain have been among the great triumphs in latter-day Loire. François Chidaine has been working in biodynamism since 1999. As he explains on his website, “each parcel of vines expresses itself differently due to the nature of soils, to their location, or to the age of the vines.”

Each year, Chidaine produces five cuvées from the terroirs of Montlouis. Two of them, Les Tuffeaux (demi-sec) and Les Choisilles are specialties at the SAQ, as is his Montlouis Méthode Traditionnelle. He has also started producing three cuvées of Vouvray, from the opposite bank of the Loire opposite Montlouis. One of them, the cuvée Les Argiles, is also in the SAQ. His others are available through private importation.

One must distinguish between François Cotat and Pascal Cotat, who are cousins. The Cotat name was raised to mythical levels by Paul Cotat, Francois’ father. Paul loved very ripe grapes, and in hot vintages, he proudly made sought-after cuvées of semi-dry whites. François also harvests his grapes at high levels of ripeness. The soil in the town of Chavignol is composed of Kimmeridgian limestone which, as in Chablis, bestows longevity upon the wines. The strong identity of François Cotat’s wines is due as much to the glorious terroir itself as to the domaine’s patient manual harvesting. The domaine also knows a thing or two about pressurage and élevage. To discover the full potential of these mythical wines requires keeping a few bottles of Grande Côte, Culs de Beaujeu or Monts Damnés in the cellar for about twenty years.

The appellation of Sancerre extends over approximately 2500 hectares, ranking it among the largest AOCs in France. A handful of plots are located just outside the 8km-wide geographical core surrounding the town of Sancerre. A further 15 km away, one comes to the vineyards of Montigny, one of the more unusual parts of the appellation. It is here that Henry Natter oversees his vineyards, whose soils are composed of terres blanches, one of three major soil-types that define the appellation’s terroir. He was the first one to begin planting vines here some thirty years ago. The 2013 edition of the Bettane et Desseauve French wine guide notes that “the Kimmeridgian clay subsoil and the solid maturity levels of the grapes allow the domaine to obtain white wines with exotic notes –and without any heaviness.”

Huet ranks among the most important names in the world of wine.

Because Vouvray is an appellation dedicated strictly to whites, meaning it isn’t capable of garnering the prestige associated with a Pomerol or a Gevrey-Chambertin, it’s a significant accomplishment that the name of Domaine Huet is so widely known and appreciated. Noël Pinguet is a tireless crusader in his quest to raise the renown of both the domaine and the AOC. Before him, Gaston Huet spent fifty years fighting the same good fight. Domaine Huet is considered a pioneer in the field of biodynamics. Noël Pinguet’s reasons for continuing this practice, he said, is pure pragmatism. Twenty years ago, after a series of experiments, he learned that his biodynamic wines were simply better. Both in Vouvray and Montlouis, the autumnal state of the grapes determines which percentage of the production is dedicated to dry, semi-dry and sweet wines. It is the decision of the winemaker who subsequently determines the proportions of still wines and sparkling wines. Whatever the category of wine, and whatever the vintage, Domaine Huet’s Vouvrays are always vibrant and nuanced, true vins de meditation for any self-respecting epicurean.