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Chenin Blanc 3-Pack
3-Bottle Sampler
It is often said that Chenin Blanc is the most versatile grape in the world. Capable of producing fine wines dry, sweet, still, and sparkling, and covering a fascinating array of aromas and textures from bracingly mineral to tenderly honeyed and everything in between, this noble cépage unquestionably deserves our full appreciation.
At table, the Pineau de la Loire, as it is also known, truly shines. A natural companion to myriad world cuisines outside that of its home of northern France, it can easily hold its own from apéritif through dessert, refreshing and energizing all along the way. Cream, spice, fat, salt, and countless other flavors shine when paired with Chenin in one of its many incarnations, facilitating the job of the home cook, host, or partygoer.
This Chenin Blanc sampler features three diverse and unique manifestations of the grape. Catherine and Pierre Breton’s Brut, from biodynamically farmed vineyards in Vouvray, is all about its fine bead and the zesty refreshment it provides. Downriver in Savennières, stony schist soils yield a more austere wine, defined by its breadth on the palate with a backdrop of unforgiving minerality. Aged in chestnut and acacia casks, this is Chenin Blanc from the history books. Finally, back in Vouvray, the Champalou family has crafted one of the variety’s most decadent and long-lived embodiments, a late-harvest jewel wherein only the best grapes, selected berry by berry, have yielded a nectar concentrated with dazzling honeyed goodness lifted by a lively acidity.
Vive le Chenin!
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | sampler |
Appellation: | Various |
Country: | France |
Normally $122.00 SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $98.00 (a 20% discount) |
Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante” • Catherine & Pierre Breton $26.00
2015 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale” • Château d'Épiré $30.00
2015 Vouvray “Les Tries” • Champalou $66.00
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
France | Loire
Pretty and elegant, with a taste of fresh peaches and nectarines, it is perfect for your summer table.
2021 Sancerre Rouge
France | Loire
Chotard has crafted a delicious, complex, and elegant rouge that gives many village Burgundies a run for their money.
2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
France | Loire
May Bianco ~ A fleshy, full-bodied Sancerre with great freshness and the ability to age in bottle for a few years after release.
2019 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
France | Loire
This divine red allies the power and finesse one would expect from this great terroir.
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée Sainte Narcisse”
France | Loire
It might be the most unusual and most delicious top-quality sweet wine you have ever tried: a pure Chenin Blanc from a special selection of late-harvest grapes in the appellation of Jasnière.
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
France | Loire
Simply gorgeous, the Cris is sublimely perfumed, generous on the palate, and long and saline on the elegant finish.
2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
France | Loire
Cabernet Franc on sandy, gravelly soils—juicy, crunchy, and highly chillable.
2021 Bourgeuil “Cuvée Beauvais”
France | Loire
Smooth and seductive on the palate, Cuvée Beauvais offers a resurgence of silky fruit and florals—like blackberries and roses, without the thorns.
2021 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
France | Loire
A textbook Chinon like this merits simple, rustic cuisine such as roast game, baked potatoes, and sautéed porcini mushrooms.
2022 Chinon Blanc
France | Loire
A rare Chenin Blanc from the land of Cabernet Franc. Ultra fresh and brimming with citrus blossom and orchard fruit notes, it has a saline, mineral finish that leaves my palate simultaneously satisfied and begging for more. Try it with fresh trout, grilled whole topped with chimichurri or smoked and tossed into a Niçoise salad.
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
2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc “Unique”
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
Régis Minet France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2021 Quincy
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Racines”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc “Unique”
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
Régis Minet France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2021 Quincy
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Racines”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.