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2018 Val de Loire Blanc “Fié Gris”
Éric ChevalierFié 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% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
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This bottling takes a playful approach to the rare Fié Gris grape with a skin maceration that teases out depth to its unique aromatic qualities.
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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This chiseled Chenin Blanc comes from 70-year-old vines planted on an ancient limestone slope. Burgundian-like in character from its time spent in barrel, the laser-like acidity will become even more enticing with some age.
2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
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This cuvée delivers trademark elegance and notes of blackberries, forest, and graphite.
2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
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This wine is deep and textural, with serious presence on the palate and a dry, flinty finish.
2022 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
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Crafted less than 20 miles from the Atlantic coast, this exquisite Muscadet is a perfect reflection of where it originates, as if it’s been sculpted by winds off the ocean and infused with hints of sea salt in the air.
2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
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2022 Quincy “Château de Quincy”
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2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
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Previously blended into the domaine’s Sancerre rouge, the Champs d’Alligny is now its own bottling, a successful experiment if there ever was one.
2022 Chardonnay
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Some wines deliver well beyond expectations—this is one of them.
2022 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie “La Nöe”
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At first, it is streamlined, saline, and full of lemon. Then the granite terroir kicks in...
About The Producer
Éric Chevalier
Éric Chevalier is a rising star in the Nantais of the Loire Valley. For ten years, he sourced fruit for a large négociant in the Touraine. In 2005, he returned to his hometown of Saint-Philbert de Grandlieu and ended up taking over the family domaine, Domaine de l’Aujardière. His father, a talented vigneron well-known as a high-quality source of bulk wine, had stopped working the vineyards and the vines were going to have to be pulled up and replanted or sold. Éric was anything but enthusiastic. Little by little his passion grew, and today he is proud to be the 4th generation to farm the domaine. Éric sustainably farms 25 hectares of vines, producing wines of great character and finesse. He found his future in his family’s past.
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
2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2022 Saumur Champigny “La Foulée”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2022 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Racines”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2022 Saumur Champigny “La Foulée”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2022 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Racines”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236