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2023 Chardonnay

Eric Chevalier
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If there existed a “Chablis School of Chardonnay,” Loire Valley vigneron Eric Chevalier would have graduated top of his class. A Pays Nantais native and Muscadet specialist, Eric’s veins practically course with chiseled and saline white wine, so his affinity for Chablisien Chardonnay is not surprising. But he also spent some formative time in the 1990s in Burgundy’s northern outpost, having helped make his first wines as an apprentice there. Accordingly, when he returned to his corner of the western Loire Valley, he brought some of that Chablisien spirit back to his Chardonnay vines in the Pays Nantais.
       This is not, of course, to say that Eric makes Chablis. His expression is entirely unique: almost a mix of Chardonnay and Muscadet’s most alluring qualities, with its blend of orchard fruit, lemon and lime notes, stones, and a whisper of brine. But what makes his approach so Chablisien is that, in his hands, Chardonnay is merely a medium for his unique terroir. In other words, this wine is much more about the Pays Nantais’s maritime air and soil than any specific characteristics widely associated with the grape.
       It’s no surprise then that on more than one occasion, someone has told me, “I usually don’t like Chardonnay, but I really enjoy this.” It’s incredibly pure, delicious, and a sip feels like an invigorating plunge in the cold, nearby Atlantic.

Tom Wolf

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Technical Information
Wine Type: white
Vintage: 2023
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: Chardonnay
Appellation: Vin de Pays du Val de Loire
Country: France
Region: Loire
Vineyard: 10 - 15 years, 3 ha
Soil: Serpentinite, eclogite, quartz
Farming: Organic (certified)
Alcohol: 11.5%

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About The Region

Loire

map of 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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Vintage Chart

Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch

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