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2020 Savennières
Château d’ÉpiréPaul Bizard during harvest © Château d'Épiré
Only a handful of producers we work with have been with Kermit since the 1970s, and Épiré is one of those chosen few. Through thick and thin, changing fashions and tastes, both Kermit and the estate had the foresight to keep on keepin’ on. I can’t imagine what it was like to try to sell a rustic, bone-dry Chenin Blanc back in the day when Chardonnay was King in full regalia of buttery oak. Seems to me, though, that wine drinkers today seek and enjoy character and flair.
The Bizard family has cultivated Chenin, known locally as Pineau de la Loire, for six generations, creating timeless wines from this schist and sandstone terroir adjacent to the Loire. Savennières produces a fascinating expression of Pineau, with lively acidity and pronounced minerality in youth before developing a striking range of aromas with age. This bottling from Épiré is a lovely young Savennières to enjoy now, with notes of fresh exotic fruit and a round mouthfeel leading to a stony, mouthwatering finish—a whole lotta wine for the price.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Savennières |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Winemaker: | Paul Bizard |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1965-2013 (average 35 years old), 8.5 ha |
Soil: | Schist |
Aging: | Juice rests for 24 hours before being racked into stainless steel cuves for fermentation to begin |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie “La Nöe”
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At first, it is streamlined, saline, and full of lemon. Then the granite terroir kicks in...
2022 Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc “Unique”
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Lime blossoms delivered via a lightning bolt of minerally refreshment.
2022 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
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Citrusy aromatics, bracing salinity, and a mineral backbone make it a mouthwatering match for tangy, fresh-herb-laden soups like tom kha gai or pho.
2022 Chinon “Les Granges”
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Put a slight chill on it, pop the cork, and inhale its lively perfume: the floral fragrance and bright, juicy fruit—picture fresh-squeezed berries—are simply irresistible.
2021 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
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A textbook Chinon like this merits simple, rustic cuisine such as roast game, baked potatoes, and sautéed porcini mushrooms.
2018 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc
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The fruit is concentrated, deep, and pure, suggesting wild brambles and tart blackberries, along with an earthy, spicy component and hints of cedar.
2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
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Consistently one of the Loire’s finest Sauvignon Blancs
2019 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
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This divine red allies the power and finesse one would expect from this great terroir.
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
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Chinons from Joguet are known for their firm minerality, but this one is quite charming as well, with plummy black fruit, myrtle, and notes of warm licorice.
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
France | Loire
Gently perfumed and full of fresh berries with the bright, stony finish typical of wines from Reuilly
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 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
Régis Minet France | Loire
2022 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie “La Nöe”
Éric Chevalier France | Loire
2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
Régis Minet France | Loire
2022 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie “La Nöe”
Éric Chevalier France | Loire
2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
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