2018 Pascal et Alain Lorieux Cuvee Agnès Sorel Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil 750 ml

“All Americans need to drink this,” announced our friend Elizabeth Schneider on her podcast Wine for Normal People. “I’m going to order it by the—” 

Her co-host cut her off. But the message was clear. When it comes to Loire reds, it doesn’t get better than Lorieux. 

She had been texting us for weeks, raving about the handful of wines the Lorieux brothers make in the western Touraine. She was helping us track down the remaining 600 bottles of Lorieux’s Agnès Sorel cuvée, from the tiny appellation of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, just across the river from Chinon. 

This is a wine for folks who love St.-Émilion or Pomerol and who want to branch out without spending big bucks on Bordeaux—a Château Cheval Blanc answer for a casual burger night. 

Elizabeth calls it a “jewel of the Loire,” and ranks this as one of the great unsung heroes of French wine. We think it’s the best thing coming out of this part of the world, where the Atlantic maritime climate from the west mixes with the continental climate from the east and, on just a few stony slopes north of the Loire and Vienne rivers, creates one of the most distinct growing regions in Europe.

There’s so much to love, so much life in the glass. A truly mouthwatering acidity lifts the palate of fresh ripe strawberries, dried red currants and violets and brings the aromatics into sharp focus. Soft tea-like tannins grip front to back without overpowering the full-throated expression of red fruit. And a beautifully integrated earthy-spicy quality (think tobacco curing in a barn) rises through the finish for length and an added, pleasant toothiness. 

The charm comes from its nonchalance. Agnès Sorel exudes an entirely authentic sense of place, made from 100% Cab Franc grown high on the hillside above the Loire River, on the coveted tuffeau soils that make the Touraine’s noblest wines. 

There, Pascal Lorieux tends to his vines like children. “If he could sing to them all night, he would,” said Serge Doré, Pascal’s US-based importer. “The vines are all he thinks about.” That dedication in the vineyard pays off in the cellar, where all the wine is aged in stainless steel, giving it that come-as-you-are attitude that pays off even more in the bottle.

While neighboring Chinon may be more famous, that’s largely a question of volume. Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil is about a quarter of the size, but every bit as formidable in its quality. 

As Decanter noted, “It is easy to have a soft spot for the best of Bourgueil. There is an integrity of flavour and fruit that, when mature, is well structured and direct.” That article recommended Lorieux as one the Loire’s best producers, singling out the Agnès Sorel cuvée for its approachability.

We have definitely developed a soft spot for this well-structured beauty. But don’t sleep on it. The word is out.