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2018 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”

Château d’Épiré
Discount Eligible $20.00
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One of the last growers to produce Cabernet Franc in the Savennières appellation, Paul Bizard, who recently took the reins from his father, Luc, is as proud as he is protective of the domaine’s rare hectare of rouge. He sent us a picture of thirty beehives he installed in the vineyard in 2018 and announced that his next project is to replant cherry trees, the namesake of the clos. As for the wine, it’s a bottle “without pretension, but joy-enhancing,” which pretty much says it all.

Emily Spillmann


Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2018
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: Cabernet Franc
Appellation: Savennières
Country: France
Region: Loire
Producer: Château d'Épiré
Winemaker: Luc 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: 12.5%

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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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Terroirs

Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.

Inspiring Thirst, page 312