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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
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...
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
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Previously blended into the domaine’s Sancerre rouge, the Champs d’Alligny is now its own bottling, a successful experiment if there ever was one.
2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
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Delicate, precise, and succulent at the same time, this beautiful blanc will pair well with fresh seafood and light summer salads and pastas.
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
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The perfect combination of tart red fruit, herbaceousness, and graphite earthiness.
2020 Vin de France Blanche
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This lithe and expressive “orange” wine is an ideal palate-opener with a dry, cleansing finish and a fresh, cooling effect like coastal sage and seaspray.
2020 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
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2022 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
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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.
2023 Cheverny
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2022 Chardonnay
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Some wines deliver well beyond expectations—this is one of them.
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.
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
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
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2022 Chinon Rosé
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2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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2019 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
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2020 Saumur Blanc “Terres”
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2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
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Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
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2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
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2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
Régis Minet France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
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2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2019 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Terres”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
Régis Minet France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.