Herve Villemade, Cheverny Rouge, 2024

If you want to understand what Loire reds can do when made by careful hands and natural instincts, Hervé Villemade's Cheverny Rouge is a near-perfect entry point. Hervé took over his family domaine in 1995, converted to organic farming starting in 2000 after tasting wines by natural pioneers like Marcel Lapierre and Thierry Puzelat, and has spent the last quarter-century quietly making Cheverny one of the Loire's most exciting addresses. The 2024 Rouge is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay from organically certified vineyards on clay and sand with silex (flint) stones over limestone. Fermented mostly whole-cluster with native yeasts in concrete and wooden vats, no fining, no filtration, minimal sulfur — this is a juicy, sappy, energetic Loire red that practically begs for a chill and a Tuesday night.