Notify me
2023 Savennières
Château d’Epiré
Chenin Blanc finds one of its most classic expressions at the venerated Château d’Épiré, whose vineyards overlooking the Loire River are widely considered to be among the grands crus of Savennières. Boasting a sublime tension, this blanc would perfectly suit many preparations of seafood.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Savennières |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Château d’Épiré |
Winemaker: | Paul Bizard |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1965-2013 (average 35 years old), 8.5 ha |
Soil: | Schist |
Aging: | Juice rests for 24 hours before being racked into stainless steel cuves for fermentation to begin |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12% |
More from this Producer or Region

2024 Chardonnay
France | Loire
Some wines deliver well beyond expectations—this is one of them.

2021 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
France | Loire
Age-worthy red from one of Chinon’s top sites, by a storied domaine.

2021 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
France | Loire
Germain’s reds are grand examples of the heights biodynamic wines can achieve.

2021 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
France | Loire
Sourced from 110+ year-old vines, this is hands-down one of the best Cab Francs being made in the Loire Valley today.

2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
France | Loire
Gorges boasts an incredible texture and tension imparted by decomposed, blue-green igneous rock, seventy-year-old vines, and years-long aging on the lees.

2023 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
France | Loire
Citrusy aromatics, bracing salinity, and a mineral backbone make it a mouthwatering match for tangy, fresh-herb-laden soups like tom kha gai or pho.

2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
France | Loire
Fine, with bright acid, sleek silkiness, and great length, it is the most elegant of all of Thierry’s red wines.

2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
France | Loire
The family’s grandest wine, a brooding elixir of satiny fruit, cedar, and graphite.

2023 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
France | Loire
Peppery and bright, earthy and juicy all at once.

2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
France | Loire
It fills the mouth with suspicions of honeysuckle and pulpy stone fruits, all while maintaining classic notes of iodine and sea breeze that make this the vinous equivalent of tidepooling.
About The Producer
Château d’Épiré
One of the oldest and most celebrated domaines in Savennières, Chateau d’Épiré is rich in history. Savennières is situated just southwest of Angers, on the north bank of the Loire River. Vines have been cultivated there since the time of the Romans. The domaine itself has been in the Bizard family continuously since the 17th century. The most recent owners and caretakers of the land are Monsieur and Madame Luc Bizard. They own eleven hectares, nine of which are entirely dedicated to the cultivation of Pineau de la Loire, known today as Chenin Blanc. The château is exquisite, but the pièce de résistance is their winery, formerly a Romanesque chapel, which is from the 12th century. Truly a blessed wine!
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
2022 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2015 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2024 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2024 Sancerre Rosé
Domaine Roger Neveu France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2024 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Le Domaine”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2015 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2024 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2024 Sancerre Rosé
Domaine Roger Neveu France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2024 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Le Domaine”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.
Inspiring Thirst, page 312