On my way down to Bordeaux from Paris last week, I stopped off in Sancerre to visit an old friend.

Just two hours south of Paris, Sancerre is the holy grail of Sauvignon Blanc.

Winemakers all over the world - from New Zealand through to South Africa and Chile - try (and nearly always fail) to emulate it.

And right beside Sancerre you’ll find Pouilly Fumé and Menetou-Salon - definitely less famous, but just as capable of producing world-class Sauvignon.

These are all tiny regions - Sancerre is one-tenth the size of Bordeaux. The wines have been in high demand for decades, especially as they pair so well with the finest gastronomy.

So fresh off my visit to Sancerre, I’ve mixed a 6-pack of the new 2022 vintages so you can taste some of the Loire’s finest whites for yourself.

In the case you’ll get:

• 1x Domaine de St Romble Sancerre 2022 - from the famous Terres Blanches soils which gives a wide spectrum of flavour to the Sauvignon grapes - everything from tropical, herbaceous to cassis. This is classic Sancerre at an amazing price
• 1x Domaine de St Romble Sancerre Vieilles Vignes 2022 - made in the same way as the regular Sancerre, but the vines here are 40-60 years old, giving more concentration and power to the wine
• 2x Domaine des Berthiers Pouilly Fumé 2022 - the vineyards are based on silex (flint), which is the most coveted soil in Pouilly Fumé. This brings out a piercing, mineral and pure expression of Sauvignon Blanc - you don’t get this anywhere else in the world
• 2x Domaine du Grand Brussy Menetou-Salon 2022 - one of the Loire’s best-kept secrets, you don’t find much of it outside of France. You get the elegance and sophistication of a Sancerre here, but the clay you find here gives it a much richer and more tropical flavour. Menetou is the white by-the-glass option in nearly every single Parisian restaurant - and it’s easy to see why!
  

These may be Sauvignon Blanc by name - but they’re a million miles from the overly-intense grassy style you’ll often find from places like New Zealand these days.