The Loire Valley’s Touraine region may be home to some of France’s grandest châteaux, but when it comes to its wines, few growers have shown the same kind of ambition and skill as those 16th-century masons. With notable exceptions, and despite the quality of its soils, the wines from this appellation—from vineyards on the banks of the Loire and its tributary, the Cher, east of Tours—have yet to set the world on fire. But the times they are a-changin’. Last year, we met two young growers whose electric whites from Sauvignon and Chenin and deliciously pure and characterful red wines from Cabernet Franc and the local Pineau d’Aunis and Grolleau are emblematic of the new energy flowing into the region. Still, while waiting for those wines to arrive, it is worth remembering that we already have a Touraine producer on our books—and a world-class one at that. For some years now, the ‘Pope of Montlouis and Vouvray’ has been expanding his holding upriver, where the price of land remains reasonable, while also replanting with superior mass-selection material. François Chidaine now farms seven hectares of vines rooted in the flint, clay and limestone of the Cher Valley, just east of the Château de Chenonceau. Even at this pourable price point, all the vineyards are managed organically, the fruit hand-harvested, and the wines naturally fermented. These methods remain exceptionally rare for Touraine, as are the quality and texture of the wines.When Chidaine describes 2022 as “the kind of vintage we dream of making more regularly”, it hits home more than most. Anyone who follows this producer will know that he is not only one of France’s greatest wine growers but, in terms of yields, he is also one of its unluckiest. Fortunately, 2022 has delivered some respite, and the icing on the cake is the outstanding quality. That goes for Chidaine’s deep and racy Montlouis and Vouvray cuvées as much as it does for these great-value bottles from ‘the Garden of France’.