Confluence is one of Eric's earlier drinking wines - beautifully taut, tense and dry, it is Chenin Blanc for a warm day. Plenty of white peach and pear, mingling with grapefruit and jasmine. This is a spirited, crisp and energetic wine that will reward those who have patience and also those looking for something special young. Great drinking!

The Loire Valley is the breadbasket of France, a verdant band of land that follows the mighty Loire River as it bisects the country. Vineyards, orchards, olive groves and the like dot the riverbanks. One of the most fascinating parts of the valley however is found far from the river, to the north - a little hamlet by the name of Jasnières. Only reinvigorated as a viticultural area in the 1970s, it is home to a handful of vignerons, the best known of whom is Eric Nicolas and his Domaine de Belliviere. Eric and his wife Christine found an estate with some vines, but mostly grazing fields, trees and grains. They nurtured the existing old vines and did a lot of planting, to get to their current 14 hectares. Working everything by hand, they have been organic from the start, but soon the Nicolas came to be firm believers in biodynamic viticulture and have been certified since 2011. Chenin Blanc represents the vast majority of the Bellivière production, with a few native reds rounding out the range. Certainly an estate on the rise, with many great wines.