Arrive in Paris for 25th of May morning departure.

Monday 25th May Chartres and Saumur
Meet at 9am for our departure from Paris. We drive west to the city of Chartres where we enjoy a light lunch after a guided visit to the stunning cathedral, a world heritage site renowned as the high point of French Gothic art. After lunch we drive to the western side of the Loire valley and to our first wine visit at Langlois Chateau in Saumur. The Bollinger owned Langlois is perhaps the premier producer of sparkling cremant de Loire but also produces a range of fine wines from across the Loire valley. After enjoying a brief visit at the chateau, we adjourn to the nearby Hotel Chateau Le Prieure, an elegant 4 star hotel overlooking the river where we enjoy a dinner paired with local wines. L/D

Tuesday 26th May Saumur and Savennieres

We leave the hotel at 0930 and head to the Layon valley for a visit at the delightful Pierre Bise winery. A renowned organic producer of Chenin blanc wines from Savennieres and Coteaux du Layon, Pierre Bise also makes Anjou reds and roses with cabernet franc and even grows some Gamay. A great place to get a sense of the diversity of the wines and terroirs of the Loire.We move to the small town of Saumur, where we enjoy a special lunch in the Langlois vineyards, paired with their wines. We then move to our 2nd visit of the day at Chateau du Hureau in Saumur. An organic family producer in a delightful chateau, Hureau’s Saumur Champigny reds are excellent examples of the freshness and vibrancy of fine Loire cabernet franc. After our tasting we return to our hotel where we have a informal dinner with wines from this part of the Loire. B/D

Wednesday 27th May Chinon and Cheverny 

After we check out of our hotel we make the short drive towards Chinon, stopping en route for a guided tour and lunch at the celebrated Abbey de Fontevraud, a 12th century world heritage site that is the burial place of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart. After lunch we make the short drive to Chinon and a visit to Couly Dutheil, probably the most renowned producer of the region and an innovator with cabernet franc in the form of white, rose and red wines. After our visit and tasting we make the short drive to our hotel for the next 2 nights, the very elegant Le Clos d’Amboise. Dinner is at the hotel’s restaurant, the perfect place to settle ourselves into prime château country B/L/D

Thursday 28th May Chambord and Vouvray

We have a short drive to Vouvray, one the best loved appellations in the Loire and home to our morning visit at Bernard Fouquet’s Domaine des Aubuisieres, one of the very top producers here. This is the very best place for Chenin blanc, whether sweet, dry or sparkling and the mineral Vouvray whites are some of the best aging white wines in the world. After our visit and tasting we move on to the Chateau Chambord, the largest chateau in the Loire built in the 16th century for Francois I and a favourite of her Sun King Louis XIV. We enjoy a visit after a private lunch at the chateau, together with wines. After our afternoon at Chambord we return to our hotel where the evening is free. B/L

Friday 29th May Pouilly Fume and Sancerre

We leave the hotel after breakfast and head east to sauvignon Blanc country. We enjoy a visit and lunch at Chateau de Tracy, a beautiful estate where wine has been made since the 14th century by the de Tracy family. We get to try the classic Pouilly Fume wines with lunch and then make the short drive to Sancerre our last stop in the Loire.We settle into the charming Hotel Les Monts Damnes in Chavignol, just outside Sancerre. This is a family hotel run by the Bourgeois family who are one of the top producers of Sancerre wines (their ES 56 blanc featured in the Wine Spectator’s top 100 wines). We enjoy a visit and tasting at the family winery before a wine paired dinner at the hotel to conclude our time in the Loire. B/L/D

Saturday 30th May  Paris 

We head north to Paris after breakfast, with a little time to explore the village of Chavignol before we make our way to Paris, where the tour ends. B