Old-vine wines – part 8 the rest of France

Vine growing through the wall in Clos Cristal Saumur

This collection of wines from Champagne, the Loire and south-west France may look like a motley crew, but the wines are most certainly not motley. The photo above is of one of the extraordinary vines in Clos Cristal, Hospice de Saumur, which have been growing through its three kilometres of walls for 130 years. A story to be told in a different article, but just one of the magical stories of historic vineyards and incredible old vines in the Loire. See this guide to our old vines coverage.

Champagne

Bollinger's iconic, highly sought-after cult wine is not strictly from...