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Loire

In our Magazine

Doué-en-Anjou

Nestled in the soft limestone folds of western France, Doué-en-Anjou stirs an echo of centuries past—where troglodyte dwellings carved into tuffeau stone have sheltered humans since the Middle Ages, and where time seems to breathe through the vines and vaulted cellars. In 1784, Louis XVI instituted a royal menagerie here; today, the town’s surreal subterranean zoo honors that legacy, shadowed by candlelit galleries where history lingers like cool mist. Locals know that beneath its pastoral charm lies a quiet resilience—this is not simply ‘wine country’ but a place where viticulture dialogues with geology. At the heart of the Saumur appellation, Doué-en-Anjou is cradled by terroirs that nurture Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc with a gentle minerality born of millefeuille soils: clay with limestone, sand, and the breezes of the Loire. Expect refined crémants, bone-dry whites, and reds that whisper forest fruits and pencil shavings. Early autumn, when the vines blush amber and truffle scents thread the cool air, offers a moment suspended between earth and grace. Continue the journey and unearth more layers of the Loire’s quiet wonders in our related explorations.