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2023 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'EpiréChâteau d’Epiré is a true guardian of Savennières history: for centuries, the property has been the source of profound, age-worthy Chenin Blanc that evokes the local schist soils with utter transparency. But the Anjou region is also Cabernet Franc territory, and as we well know, after every great white a great red must follow. It is only natural, then, that the Bizard family—who has owned Epiré since the 17th century—should make a bit of rouge, too.
Cabernet Franc in this terroir shares certain traits with white Savennières, as one might expect. It is a lively, brisk wine, showcasing pristine red fruit and a hint of herbs over a firm foundation of stony acidity. Unfined and unfiltered, the 2022 satisfies with a velvety fullness and mouth-watering finish.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Savennières |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Winemaker: | Paul Bizard |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1973, 1976, 2016, 1.5 ha |
Soil: | Schist |
Aging: | Wine ages in 30 hectoliter stainless steel tanks until spring |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2020 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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Intensely dry and mineral, the structured Les Arceaux is a bottle to pair with a meal rather than to drink as an apéritif.
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
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September Club Bianco ~ Fermented and aged in barrel and bottled unfiltered, it features a delightful kiss of oak on the long, bracing, mouth-watering finish.
2021 Bourgueil “La Dilettante”
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2022 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
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Sourced from the village of Beaumont, located within the Chinon AOC, it is utterly delicious, with a perfect balance of fruit and earth.
2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
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The singularity and beauty of Chenin Blanc really shines with a bit of age, which is what makes this wine so special to enjoy now.
2023 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
France | Loire
It is a lively, brisk wine, showcasing pristine red fruit and a hint of herbs over a firm foundation of stony acidity.
2023 Cheverny
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Sauvignon and a splash of Chardonnay: the epitome of minerally Loire refreshment
2022 Menetou-Salon Blanc “Cuvée des Bénédictins”
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Joseph de Maistre’s “Cuvée des Bénédictins” showcases the pure and precise minerality endowed by an esteemed terroir through the lens of organically farmed Sauvignon Blanc.
2020 Chardonnay
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Some wines deliver well beyond expectations—this is one of them.
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
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Given light treatment in the cellar, this wine shows off Cabernet in its most delicate, charming form.
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
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2023 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
Champalou France | Loire
2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Gros-Plant du Pays Nantais
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie “La Nöe”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2022 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2023 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
Champalou France | Loire
2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Gros-Plant du Pays Nantais
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie “La Nöe”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2022 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
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.