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2019 Val de Loire Blanc “Fié Gris”
Éric ChevalierAn unusual find here, made from the rare Sauvignon Gris grape and grown in Muscadet country near the Atlantic Ocean, this savory, spicy, dry white is a great accompaniment to herby and citrusy salads and dishes. Our sales whiz in San Diego, Kate MacWilliamson, recommends her local fish tacos with fresh radishes, cabbage, cilantro, and lime as the ultimate pairing, and she gets no argument from me!
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2019 |
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”
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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.
2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
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2020 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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Some wines deliver well beyond expectations—this is one of them.
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.
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2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
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2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
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2022 Quincy “Château de Quincy”
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2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
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2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
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Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2023 Cheverny
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2018 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236