Notify me
2024 Chardonnay
Eric Chevalier
If there existed a “Chablis School of Chardonnay,” Loire Valley vigneron Eric Chevalier would have graduated top of his class. A Pays Nantais native and Muscadet specialist, Eric’s veins practically course with chiseled and saline white wine, so his affinity for Chablisien Chardonnay is not surprising. But he also spent some formative time in the 1990s in Burgundy’s northern outpost, having helped make his first wines as an apprentice there. Accordingly, when he returned to his corner of the western Loire Valley, he brought some of that Chablisien spirit back to his Chardonnay vines in the Pays Nantais.
This is not, of course, to say that Eric makes Chablis. His expression is entirely unique: almost a mix of Chardonnay and Muscadet’s most alluring qualities, with its blend of orchard fruit, lemon and lime notes, stones, and a whisper of brine. But what makes his approach so Chablisien is that, in his hands, Chardonnay is merely a medium for his unique terroir. In other words, this wine is much more about the Pays Nantais’s maritime air and soil than any specific characteristics widely associated with the grape.
It’s no surprise then that on more than one occasion, someone has told me, “I usually don’t like Chardonnay, but I really enjoy this.” It’s incredibly pure, delicious, and a sip feels like an invigorating plunge in the cold, nearby Atlantic.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2024 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chardonnay |
Appellation: | Vin de Pays du Val de Loire |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Eric Chevalier |
Vineyard: | 10 - 15 years, 3 ha |
Soil: | Serpentinite, eclogite, quartz |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 11.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
France | Loire
This sparkling wine has decadently rich, honeyed fruit and a nice dollop of buttery brioche.

2024 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
France | Loire
The 2024 vintage has its trademark elegance, with notes of blackberries, forest, and graphite.

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

2023 Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie “La Nöe”
France | Loire
At first, it is streamlined, saline, and full of lemon. Then the granite terroir kicks in...

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.

2024 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
France | Loire
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.

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.

2023 Reuilly Pinot Noir
France | Loire
Gently perfumed and full of fresh berries with the bright, stony finish typical of wines from Reuilly

2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
France | Loire
Pierre’s old-vine Quincy has a mouth-coating texture and charming notes of tangerine that are certain to earn this great appellation the following it deserves.

2020 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
France | Loire
A lovely combination of Grolleau Noir and Cabernet Franc, there seems to be a synergistic effect elevating both grapes to create a juicy, spicy, refreshing whole.

About The Producer
Eric Chevalier
Eric Chevalier is a rising star in the Nantais of the Loire Valley. For ten years, he sourced fruit for a large négociant in the Touraine. In 2005, he returned to his hometown of Saint-Philbert de Grandlieu and ended up taking over the family domaine, Domaine de l’Aujardière. His father, a talented vigneron well-known as a high-quality source of bulk wine, had stopped working the vineyards and the vines were going to have to be pulled up and replanted or sold. Eric was anything but enthusiastic. Little by little his passion grew, and today he is proud to be the 4th generation to farm the domaine. Eric sustainably farms 25 hectares of vines, producing wines of great character and finesse. He found his future in his family’s past.
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
2024 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2024 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2020 Sancerre Rouge "Champs d’Alligny"
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2024 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
Champalou France | Loire
2023 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2024 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Savennières
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2024 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2024 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2020 Sancerre Rouge "Champs d’Alligny"
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2024 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
Champalou France | Loire
2023 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2024 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Savennières
Château d’Epiré France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174