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2020 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Éric ChevalierÉric Chevalier is out to prove that Muscadet is a versatile white, with countless purposes beyond washing down oysters. He boldly switched to organic farming and ditched his machine harvester for the tried-and-true two hands and a pair of pruning shears—sadly, both uncommon practices in the region. His cellar work further differentiates him from the Muscadet masses, as he relies solely on indigenous yeasts for fermentation, uses tiny doses of sulfur, and filters minimally.
Of the twenty-five hectares he farms, the largest percentage of his production is dedicated to Melon de Bourgogne. No other grape variety can translate a salty ocean breeze quite like it. At Éric’s domaine, just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic coast, the vineyards lie in the direct path of incessant onshore winds. And yet the first impression in his Muscadet is a lovely whisper of florality, perhaps the aromatic footprint of organically farmed old vines with no added yeast and a modest use of sulfur. When the flowers subside, the salt kicks in, leaving your palate both charmed and salivating for more.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Melon de Bourgogne |
Appellation: | Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Éric Chevalier |
Winemaker: | Éric Chevalier |
Vineyard: | 50 years; 6 ha |
Soil: | Serpentinite, eclogite, quartz |
Aging: | Wine stays in foudre for fermentation and élevage, then raised 10-12 months depending on the vintage |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 11.5% |
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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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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