Sebastien Vaillant Valencay 2025

Steely Loire Sauvignon with a touch of Chardonnay texture. This 80/20 blend from Valençay, just south of Touraine, shows how a little Chardonnay can shift the balance without losing that cool Loire character. The Sauvignon brings freshness, citrus and flinty lift; the Chardonnay adds breadth, peachy fruit and a gentle gloss from time on lees. Unoaked but far from lean, it feels a little fuller than most Loire Sauvignons, with ripe pear and stone fruit carried on a fine mineral line that keeps it precise and dry.

Best enjoyed with fresh seafood, tangy goat's cheese, or a crisp salad to match its zesty citrus and mineral finish.

Sébastien Vaillant cut his teeth as a cellar master at Domaine des Ballandors in Quincy before returning to run his family's small domaine in Valençay, an up-and-coming Loire village known for both wine and its distinctive pyramid-shaped goat's cheese. His vineyards benefit from being in a nearby forest's rain shadow, keeping conditions dry and healthy, even in wetter months. Unlike many in Valençay, he cultivates both Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, lending his wines a unique character for the area. His thoughtful, hands-on approach creates bright, mineral-driven whites.