New world order

HALF way through a tasting with a group of growers from the Loire valley last week, I had a bizarre encounter. The tall, elegantly dressed lady behind one of the tables looked very French, so I introduced myself in what I thought was her native language – only to find that she was Australian, married to a Scot, who makes sauvignon blanc in a New World-inspired winery in a little-known area of northern France.

David Levin, her husband, bought land 25 years ago in a rather unfashionable part of the wine world, near Bourre just south of the Loire. He had already made his name winning a Michelin star at The Capital Hotel and restaurant in London and as the first person to import Australian wine to the UK, but when it came to producing his own private label, his heart was in France.

"We shipped the winery in its entirety from Australia," Lynne Levin explains. "We even brought over engineers to erect it." Today, their Aussie shed-style winery looks slightly out of place, but it was Levin's dream – and the wine is unique.

"This is specifically made as a food wine," says Levin, pouring me a sample of her Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France. "We are not in the Loire valley making Australian wine; we are growing excellent French sauvignon blanc using innovative methods while remaining true to our traditional roots."

But to me, when I tasted it, its richness of texture and juicy zestiness reminded me more of a Kiwi savvy than a Touraine sauvignon blanc.

It's so refreshing to find an outsider inspired by the Loire. This region, France's largest for whites, has been neglected by investors in the past due to its inconsistent climate. Now, thanks to generally warmer summers, ripening grapes is easier.

Another example of an enterprising young enthusiast is Eric Morgat. While his family came from Anjou, he wanted to work only with dry chenin blanc, so he bought vineyards in Savennieres. He shows a new dimension to this classic appellation, achieving a very ripe, intense style of dry white.

Red Loire wines often get a bad press. But anyone wary of them should try the 2005 vintage from dynamo winemaker, Frederic Mabileau. His work with the tricky cabernet franc grape shows how good red Loire wines can be.

TASTE TEST

Fizz

VOUVRAY PETILLANT 2002 Huet

(£9.95, The Wine Society, 01438 741177, www.thewine society.com; Raeburn Fine Wines, 0131-343 1159)

Same method as champagne; different grape, chenin blanc; very dry, juicy, zesty. 15/20

Dry whites

LEVIN SAUVIGNON BLANC 2006, Domaine Levin

(£8.95, The Wine Society)

Rich textured vin de pays; very ripe, full, zesty, creamy concentration, very good. 16.5/20

MENETOU SALON MOROGUES 2007, Henry Pelle

(£9.95, The Wine Society)

Rich, intense, dry, well- balanced acidity. 14.5/10

EXHIBITION POUILLY FUMé 2006, Landrat-Guyollot

(£13.95, The Wine Society)

From an excellent vintage; silex soils give a rich, rounded mouthfeel, with fine minerality. 15/20

SAVENNIERES L'ENCLOS 2005, Eric Morgat

(£13.95 The Wine Society; Raeburn Fine Wines)

Very full, open, textural, barrel-fermented style with a fine, dry finish. 16/20

Medium dry white

VOUVRAY, LE HAUT LIEU, DEMI SEC 2002, Huet

(£16, The Wine Society)

Rich, succulent sweetness, honeyed undertones, fresh, with natural acidity. 15/20

Rosé

ROSé DE LOIRE 2007, Frederic Mabileau

(£7.95, The Wine Society)

Delicate shell-pink, crisp, very dry cabernet franc. 14.5/20

Red

ST NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL LES ROUILLERES 2005, Frederic Mabileau

(£9.50, The Wine Society)

A wine to restore your faith in Loire reds – deep velvety fruits, rich, full and long. 17/20

THE BEST LOIRE SAUVIGNON DEALS THIS WEEKEND

COTEAUX DU GIENNOIS 2007, Domaine de Villargeau

(£6.75, The Wine Society)

A crisp, rounded sauvignon produced on the clay/flint soils near Gien.

POUILLY FUMé 2006, La Vigne d'Amelie

(£7.98, reduced from £10.65, Waitrose until 3 August)

A classic, flinty, fresh sauvignon with pure fruits produced on limestone soils.

QUINCY 2006, Domaine des Ballandors

(£10.49, Villeneuve Wines; Fine Wine Co, Musselburgh; Markinch Wine Gallery)

Light, grassy, fresh, zesty, with a creamy mouthfeel.