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2023 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré
Château d’Epiré is a true guardian of Savennières history: for centuries, the property has been the source of profound, age-worthy Chenin Blanc that evokes the local schist soils with utter transparency. But the Anjou region is also Cabernet Franc territory, and as we well know, after every great white a great red must follow. It is only natural, then, that the Bizard family—who has owned Epiré since the 17th century—should make a bit of rouge, too.
Cabernet Franc in this terroir shares certain traits with white Savennières, as one might expect. It is a lively, brisk wine, showcasing pristine red fruit and a hint of herbs over a firm foundation of stony acidity. Unfined and unfiltered, the 2022 satisfies with a velvety fullness and mouth-watering finish.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Savennières |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Winemaker: | Paul Bizard |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1973, 1976, 2016, 1.5 ha |
Soil: | Schist |
Aging: | Wine ages in 30 hectoliter stainless steel tanks until spring |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region

2023 Chinon Rosé
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April Club Gourmand ~ Matthieu Baudry captures both youthful fruit and energizing mineral textures with this rosé.

2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
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Fermented and aged in barrel and bottled unfiltered, it features a delightful kiss of oak on the long, bracing, mouth-watering finish.

2020 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
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Bottled without any sulfur whatsoever, here is a seriously playful Cab Franc from the masters of vinous fun.

2015 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
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Given light treatment in the cellar, this wine shows off Cabernet in its most delicate, charming form.

2023 Sancerre Rouge
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Chotard has crafted a delicious, complex, and elegant rouge that gives many village Burgundies a run for their money.

2020 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
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Age-worthy red from one of Chinon’s top sites, by a storied domaine.

Vouvray Brut
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From clay and limestone vineyards, they are able to obtain remarkable complexity in their Brut, while the texture shows both a creamy richness and an austere minerality.

2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
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Thierry Germain’s meticulous process coaxes out the delicate and aromatic side of Chenin Blanc—think jasmine, honeysuckle, and peach.

2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
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Simon refers to Hameau de Reigny as a “nature” wine. The result is textured and tropical-fruited, yet not so much a departure from the region’s typicity, as rather, a riff on it.

2023 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...
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 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2023 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2023 Quincy
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2022 Chinon Blanc
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Réserve”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2023 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2023 Quincy
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2022 Chinon Blanc
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Réserve”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
Where the newsletter started

Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch