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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
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2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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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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2020 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
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2023 Cheverny
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
Touraine “Fines Bulles”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Chinon
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.