Eric Chevalier Muscadet "Clos de la Butte" Cotes de Grand Lieu 2023

Alcohol: 13%

Grape(s): 100% Melon de Bourgogne

Localization: Loire Valley, France

Tasting Notes: 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.

Food pairing: Pair with something equally delicate and saline—oysters or grilled mackerel spritzed simply with citrus

The Domain: Éric Chevalier is a rising star in the Nantais of the Loire Valley. He sourced fruit for a large négociant in the Touraine for ten years. In 2005, he returned to his hometown of Saint-Philbert de Grandlieu and ended up taking over the family domain, 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. Éric was anything but enthusiastic. Little by little his passion grew, and today he is proud to be the 4th generation to farm the domaine. Éric sustainably farms 25 hectares of vines, producing wines of great character and finesse. He found his future in his family’s past.