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2017 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale” MAGNUM
Château d’ÉpiréVisiting a farm in Vermont one time, I held the waxy wool of a freshly shorn sheep in my palm and had an “aha!” moment. The comforting scent of lanolin emitted the same intriguing note I always relished but struggled to articulate when drinking Épiré’s Cuvée Spéciale. The medley of pear, white flowers, and juicy pineapple typical of Savennières gains in complexity in the Spéciale thanks to a selection of grapes from top parcels and a half-year spent in chestnut demi-muids. Lay it down for at least five years to unlock its full potential, or drink now.
—Jane Berg
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Bottle Size: | 1.5L |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Savennières |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Château d'Épiré |
Winemaker: | Luc Bizard |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1989, 1.5 ha |
Soil: | Schist |
Aging: | Ages for about 6 months sur lie in very old chestnut demi-muids |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Production: | 4000 cases |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
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About The Producer
Château d'Épiré
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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2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
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2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
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2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
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2022 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
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2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
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2022 Chardonnay
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2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
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Vintage Chart Mentality
Vintage Chart Mentality
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