Notify me
2020 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Éric Chevalier
Éric Chevalier is out to prove that Muscadet is a versatile white, with countless purposes beyond washing down oysters. He boldly switched to organic farming and ditched his machine harvester for the tried-and-true two hands and a pair of pruning shears—sadly, both uncommon practices in the region. His cellar work further differentiates him from the Muscadet masses, as he relies solely on indigenous yeasts for fermentation, uses tiny doses of sulfur, and filters minimally.
Of the twenty-five hectares he farms, the largest percentage of his production is dedicated to Melon de Bourgogne. No other grape variety can translate a salty ocean breeze quite like it. At Éric’s domaine, just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic coast, the vineyards lie in the direct path of incessant onshore winds. And yet the first impression in his Muscadet is a lovely whisper of florality, perhaps the aromatic footprint of organically farmed old vines with no added yeast and a modest use of sulfur. When the flowers subside, the salt kicks in, leaving your palate both charmed and salivating for more.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Melon de Bourgogne |
Appellation: | Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Éric Chevalier |
Winemaker: | Éric Chevalier |
Vineyard: | 50 years; 6 ha |
Soil: | Serpentinite, eclogite, quartz |
Aging: | Wine stays in foudre for fermentation and élevage, then raised 10-12 months depending on the vintage |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 11.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2015 Vouvray “La Moelleuse”
France | Loire
Gently sweet yet retaining the mouthwatering acidity that Chenin from the great sites of the Loire can provide.

2021 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
France | Loire
This is the grandest bottling of Cabernet Franc from one of Chinon’s most outstanding producers.

2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
France | Loire
This dry Chenin Blanc is etched from the white limestone beneath—crystalline, pure, and chiseled.

2023 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” Blanc
France | Loire
A delightfully lean and bright blanc from Charles Joguet that leaves me yearning to exclaim, “This smells like a green apple picked fresh from a lemon tree!”

2023 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
France | Loire
This Chenin Blanc has a tart sweetness, or perhaps a sweet tartness—with neither overbearing—that epitomizes good balance and will have you greedily reaching for your glass.

2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
France | Loire
Simon refers to Hameau de Reigny as a “nature” wine. The result is textured and tropical-fruited, yet not so much a departure from the region’s typicity, as rather, a riff on it.

2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
France | Loire
This divine red allies the power and finesse one would expect from this great terroir.

2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
France | Loire
Fermented and aged in barrel and bottled unfiltered, it features a delightful kiss of oak on the long, bracing, mouth-watering finish.

2020 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
France | Loire
Intensely dry and mineral, the structured Les Arceaux is a bottle to pair with a meal rather than to drink as an apéritif.

2022 Sancerre Blanc “Pierre François Xavier Vieilles Vignes”
France | Loire
The oak adds a grain and level of class and backbone that raises this cuvée a step above the domaine’s classic Sancerre bottling.
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
2023 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Chinon Blanc
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2023 Chinon Rosé
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Gros-Plant du Pays Nantais
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2017 Jasnières “Chant de Vigne”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2023 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Chinon Blanc
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2023 Chinon Rosé
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Gros-Plant du Pays Nantais
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2017 Jasnières “Chant de Vigne”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2023 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!
Inspiring Thirst, page 117