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2016 Sauvignon Blanc “Unique”
Domaine du SalvardFrom their winery in the Loire Valley’s Touraine region, brothers Thierry and Emmanuel Delaille of Domaine du Salvard are producing some of the greatest Sauvignon Blanc values in the world. The climate here is perfect for ripening the fruit while maintaining plenty of zingy acidity, so it’s no wonder why rows of Sauvignon extend as far as the eye can see, interrupted only by the Loire Valley’s splendid châteaux and the meandering river itself. Salvard specializes in wines that deliver fruit-forward pleasure and unconditional refreshment, and the Unique is no exception. This pure Sauvignon saw fermentation and aging in stainless steel tanks, and it is released young, still bursting with juicy, citrusy energy and the scent of blossoming flowers. The mouthwateringly crisp finish is ideal for cleansing the palate after a bite of fresh goat cheese or with a bright seasonal salad. Quaffing down a bottle simply to slake one’s thirst is not unheard of, either.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sauvignon Blanc |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Domaine du Salvard |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12% |
More from this Producer or Region
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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.
2022 Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc “Unique”
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2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
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About The Producer
Domaine du Salvard
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 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
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2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
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2021 Sancerre Rouge
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2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
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Loire Valley Farmers’ Market
12-Bottle Sampler France | Loire
Sampler Includes:
Vouvray Brut • Champalou $31
2022 Chardonnay • Eric Chevalier $23
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie • Domaine Michel Brégeon $23
2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes” • Régis Minet $34
2022 Cheverny Rosé • Domaine du Salvard $21
2022 Chinon Rosé • Bernard Baudry $27
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir • Domaine de Reuilly $26
2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier” • Pascal Janvier $26
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir” • Charles Joguet $31
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort” • Catherine & Pierre Breton $31
2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine” • Thierry Germain $34
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray” • Grange Saint Sauveur $49
Normally $356.00
SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $267.00
(a 25% discount)
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie “La Nöe”
Éric Chevalier France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Cabernet Franc “Huguette”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Château de Quincy”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2021 Bourgeuil “Cuvée Beauvais”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
Loire Valley Farmers’ Market
This delectable 12-pack puts the Loire’s abundant viticultural diversity on full display: sparkling Chenin Blanc, plus crisp and mineral Melon de Bourgogne, and more.
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie “La Nöe”
Éric Chevalier France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Cabernet Franc “Huguette”
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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