2020 Domaine de Reuilly Les Pierres Plates Reuilly Loire Valley 750 ml

Just about 90 miles east of Vouvray, located just off a tributary of the Loire River, lies a 300-acre appellation that just might be the greatest Sauvignon Blanc secret in France.

It’s called Reuilly, and although it’s small and quiet compared to its flashier Loire counterparts, this nook of Kimmeridgian limestone—which sits along the same hallowed geological chain that runs through Chablis and Sancerre—is capable of producing marvels of sleek, chalky tension and stony depth that can rival France’s more famous Sauvignon Blancs. And no one delivers on the region’s promise better than Domaine de Reuilly.

Domaine de Reuilly is the foremost practitioner of biodynamic winemaking in the appellation, and their marvelously focused, piercingly aromatic 2020 Reuilly Les Pierres Plates—a small-production release you’ll hardly find elsewhere—has the potential to reshape your understanding of value in the Loire.

Imported by the legendary Kermit Lynch, this is one to stock up on in a hurry—especially since frosts have throttled allocations in recent vintages and made top Loire wines scarcer than ever. 

In 1935, winemaker Denis Jamain’s grandfather planted the vines that the estate tends with immaculate care today. A detailed geological survey of the property has given Denis an intimate knowledge of every inch of the land, and he shows his respect for the terroir through rigorous biodynamic farming.

His Sauvignon Blanc vines occupy the driest part of the Centre-Loire. Just the right amount of precipitation, as well as chalky soils that reflect heat, leads to excellent ripening. A relatively cool climate extends hangtime, allowing berries to layer complex fruit notes over a bedrock of ultra-crisp acidity.

The result is a small-production rarity that gives new expression to coveted Loire terroir.