Imagine a somewhat small region farmed primarily by myriad family grape growers, many of whom have made wine for generations. They work diverse soils, and because the reds are mostly from a single grape, comparing wines from a multitude of terroirs is fascinating.

This region has a lot in common with Burgundy, where the wines and the producers have captured the imagination of wine lovers the world over, and the accompanying prices have skyrocketed. Yet unlike Burgundy, the wines of this particular region are not greatly in demand. The prices are reasonable, and given the high quality of many of the wines, often absurdly good values.

This is the predicament, or the opportunity, presented by the Loire Valley, particularly the Touraine region, home of the Chinon and Bourgueil appellations. These wines are perennially lauded by many critics as wonderfully expressive and undervalued, much the same as rieslings were 15 or 20 years ago. Sooner or later, the public will seize on them. But until it does, they offer a reasonably priced chance to seek out easy drinking and intellectually stimulating, soul-satisfying pleasures, sometimes in the same bottle.

Image No. 1: Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissée 2011 Credit... Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

Because they can be so good, the wine panel likes to check in on Loire reds every once in a while. It’s been four years since our last visit, so we returned recently to taste 20 bottles from Chinon and Bourgueil, all from recent vintages. For the tasting, Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Michael Madrigale, the head sommelier at Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud, and Pascaline Lepeltier, wine director at Rouge Tomate, who, coincidentally, is originally from the Loire Valley.