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2018 Val de Loire Blanc “Fié Gris”
Éric ChevalierFié Gris, aka Sauvignon Gris, once thrived in the Loire Valley and Bordelais before falling out of favor due to its painfully low yields and the marketability of its lighter-hued sibling, Sauvignon Blanc. In Muscadet country, Éric Chevalier crafts one of the rare remaining varietal bottlings of this intriguing cultivar. His greets the palate with a bracing impression of lime flecked with shards of crushed stone. It feels luscious and exotic yet incredibly lively, like if a papaya got struck by lightning. Traditionally served with fish tacos (KLWM staff tradition, that is).
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sauvignon Gris |
Appellation: | Vin de Pays du Val de Loire |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Éric Chevalier |
Winemaker: | Éric Chevalier |
Vineyard: | 20 years old, 2.5 ha |
Soil: | Gravel, silt/sand |
Aging: | Wines age on the lees for 8-10 months |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
France | Loire
This bottling takes a playful approach to the rare Fié Gris grape with a skin maceration that teases out depth to its unique aromatic qualities.
2022 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
France | Loire
Crafted less than 20 miles from the Atlantic coast, this exquisite Muscadet is a perfect reflection of where it originates, as if it’s been sculpted by winds off the ocean and infused with hints of sea salt in the air.
2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
France | Loire
A fleshy, full-bodied Sancerre with great freshness and the ability to age in bottle for a few years after release.
2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
France | Loire
A subtly floral nose and textured mouthfeel seal the deal. This is off-the-charts Muscadet.
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
France | Loire
This dry Chenin Blanc is etched from the white limestone beneath—crystalline, pure, and chiseled.
2022 Chinon Rosé
France | Loire
One of the first rosés Kermit imported, this wine has been consistently delicious for four decades.
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
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Pretty and elegant, with a taste of fresh peaches and nectarines, it is perfect for your summer table.
2022 Chardonnay
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Some wines deliver well beyond expectations—this is one of them.
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
France | Loire
Gorges boasts an incredible texture and tension imparted by decomposed, blue-green igneous rock, seventy-year-old vines, and years-long aging on the lees.
2022 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie “La Nöe”
France | Loire
At first, it is streamlined, saline, and full of lemon. Then the granite terroir kicks in...
About The Producer
Éric Chevalier
Éric Chevalier is a rising star in the Nantais of the Loire Valley. For ten years, he sourced fruit for a large négociant in the Touraine. In 2005, he returned to his hometown of Saint-Philbert de Grandlieu and ended up taking over the family domaine, Domaine de l’Aujardière. His father, a talented vigneron well-known as a high-quality source of bulk wine, had stopped working the vineyards and the vines were going to have to be pulled up and replanted or sold. Éric was anything but enthusiastic. Little by little his passion grew, and today he is proud to be the 4th generation to farm the domaine. Éric sustainably farms 25 hectares of vines, producing wines of great character and finesse. He found his future in his family’s past.
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
More from Loire or France
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
1989 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2018 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
1989 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2018 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
Vintage Chart Mentality
Vintage Chart Mentality
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch