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2018 Val de Loire Blanc “Fié Gris”
Éric Chevalier
Fié Gris, aka Sauvignon Gris, once thrived in the Loire Valley and Bordelais before falling out of favor due to its painfully low yields and the marketability of its lighter-hued sibling, Sauvignon Blanc. In Muscadet country, Éric Chevalier crafts one of the rare remaining varietal bottlings of this intriguing cultivar. His greets the palate with a bracing impression of lime flecked with shards of crushed stone. It feels luscious and exotic yet incredibly lively, like if a papaya got struck by lightning. Traditionally served with fish tacos (KLWM staff tradition, that is).
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sauvignon Gris |
Appellation: | Vin de Pays du Val de Loire |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Éric Chevalier |
Winemaker: | Éric Chevalier |
Vineyard: | 20 years old, 2.5 ha |
Soil: | Gravel, silt/sand |
Aging: | Wines age on the lees for 8-10 months |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
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2021 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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2023 Savennières
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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 Kimmeridgian 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
2023 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
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Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Sancerre Rouge "Champs d’Alligny"
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2023 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2023 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Sancerre Rouge "Champs d’Alligny"
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2023 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville 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