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2019 Vouvray
Champalou
It’s hard to believe that nearly thirty-five years have passed since we first began importing Didier and Catherine Champalou’s wines. Few producers in the wine world boast such a consistent record, where each release is an honest and reliable ambassador to an appellation, a grape, and an entire region. The Champalous are masters of Loire Chenin Blanc, producing Vouvray in all styles; this still, dry rendition, aged in stainless steel, represents their flagship cuvée. Gentle and refreshing on the palate, it boasts a delightful balance of stony minerality with luscious, almost honeyed fruit and flowery notes, making for a great apéritif or easy pairing with all sorts of dishes. Didier and Catherine love to cook, and they will often produce an aged bottle or two to serve with a creation from the home kitchen. Best of all, their daughter Céline has joined the domaine, so we can hope for another thirty-five years—at least!—of delicious, terroir-driven Vouvray crafted with heart and soul.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Vouvray |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Champalou |
Winemaker: | Champalou family |
Vineyard: | 35 years average, 13.5 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2021 Vin de France Blanche
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2023 Vouvray
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Gentle and refreshing on the palate, it boasts a delightful balance of stony minerality with luscious, almost honeyed fruit and flowery notes.

2021 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
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2023 Savennières
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March Club Chevalier ~ Savennières is home to some of the greatest terroirs for this grape variety thanks to its soils of schist, sandstone, and blue slate and its proximity to the moderating Loire River.

2023 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
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The contrast of ripe, succulent Chenin Blanc fruit with a spike of flinty minerality is like licking honey off an arrowhead.

2023 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
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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.

Vouvray Brut
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From clay and limestone vineyards, they are able to obtain remarkable complexity in their Brut, while the texture shows both a creamy richness and an austere minerality.

2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
France | Loire
Outre Terre is a tiny production of Cabernet Franc fermented in amphora and aged in barrel.
About The Producer
Champalou
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
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2023 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2023 Savennières
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Terres”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2023 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2023 Savennières
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Terres”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Our Guarantee

Our Guarantee
We only import wine we drink and enjoy ourselves, directly from the source.
Our wine tastes the same in your home as it did where it was bottled in Europe.
Like the long-term relationships we build with growers, we build long-term relationships with our clients. Have a question? Need wine advice? Just give us a call—510-524-1524.