2022 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 [Ruh-YEE], 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.

Named after the flat, fossil-sheathed slabs of limestone that stud the estate’s vineyards, Les Pierres Plates was a standout in 2022. The year was one of the best vintages in this stretch of the Loire in 30 years, thanks to warm conditions and low yields. Low yields plus feverish restaurant demand means top Loire wines are scarcer than ever! 

“Denis Jamain has come to be one of my favorite sources for Sauvignon [Blanc],” wrote The Wine Advocate over a decade ago, referencing the Domaine de Reuilly winemaker who has made it his life’s work to realize the full potential of Reuilly’s terroir.

In 1935, Jamain’s grandfather planted the vines that Denis tends with immaculate care today. The vineyards are just two miles from the winemaker’s home, and so close to his heart that he carries a stone with him imprinted with a trademark fossil from the region. A detailed geological survey of the property has given him an intimate knowledge of every inch of the land, and he shows his respect for the terroir through rigorous biodynamic farming.