Both Pineau d’Aunis and Patrice Colin hail from the Côteaux du Vendômois, an under-the-radar appellation north of Touraine and Vouvray that lies on a Loire River tributary called, confusingly enough, the Loir. The appellation was officially formed in 2001 but it’s been producing wine since the 11th century. Part of its mystique is that it’s small: there are only 13 private producers and one co-op in this appellation, and this perhaps explains why its hometown hero, Pineau d’Aunis, doesn’t make it Stateside all that often. Patrice is the eighth generation at this domaine, which dates back to 1735, and his son Pierre François and son-in-law Florian, at 25 and 30 years old, are bringing youthful energy to the ninth. They work organically, growing Pineau d’Aunis, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, and Chardonnay on flinty soils over clay/limestone subsoils. The Loir has a microclimate with little rain, and much sunshine. With low sulfur and indigenous yeasts in the cellar, they produce wines that are fresh, clean, and aromatically complex.