2021 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”Bernard Baudry
France | Loire
$36
Producers
Only about thirty-five growers produce wine in the tiny 200-hectare appellation of Quincy, which means you don’t see much of it in the U.S. market. It’s a shame, as cheerful, unoaked wine like this one happens to be the antidote to your post-holiday blues. Grown on pink limestone and sandy soil flecked with sparkly silex, the Sauvignon Blanc of Quincy is a little more plump than its neighbors in Reuilly and Sancerre. One glass has enough sunbeams to brighten and lengthen even the shortest winter days.
—Jane Berg
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sauvignon Blanc |
Appellation: | Quincy |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Domaine Trotereau |
Winemaker: | Pierre Ragon |
Vineyard: | Planted from 1985 to 2008, 10.64 ha |
Soil: | Sandy, Silex, Pink Limestone |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
Champalou France | Loire | Vouvray
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Bernard Baudry France | Loire | Chinon
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire | Reuilly
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire | Bourgueil
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.
Bernard Baudry France | Loire | Chinon
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire | Reuilly
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgueil
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Vin de France
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire | Reuilly
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Chinon
Champalou France | Loire | Vouvray
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa