Alexis Hudon 'Groslot' VdF Blanc 1L

Alexis Hudon's 'Groslot' Vin de France Blanc is a still white expression of Grolleau Gris, a grape almost exclusively used for rosé throughout the Loire Valley. Hudon keeps the fruit on its skins just long enough to extract structure without color, bottling a pale, saline-driven white that reads as an outlier in the region's portfolio. The liter format delivers exceptional value for a natural wine with this much texture, and the Vin de France designation allows Hudon to bottle outside appellation constraints, preserving maximum freedom in the cellar. Alexis Hudon works in the Val de Loire with minimal intervention, farming organically and fermenting with native yeasts in neutral vessels. Grolleau Gris is typically a workhorse variety blended into high-volume rosé, but Hudon treats it as a site-expressive white, gently pressing the fruit and letting the Loire's limestone soils speak through a bright mineral thread. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, so what you taste is the grape and the vintage without heavy winemaking overlay. The result is a textured white that preserves the variety's natural freshness while delivering more grip than most Loire blancs at this price point. The wine pours pale straw in the glass, with aromas of white peach, citrus peel, and a faint saline lift that carries onto the palate. It drinks fresh and easy but with enough structure to stand up to oysters, ceviche, or a simple plate of charcuterie and pickles. The liter bottle makes it ideal for a casual dinner or weekend picnic, and the low-intervention approach means you're tasting the grape without distraction. Pour it cold and let it open as the bottle works its way down—the grip builds as it warms, revealing more texture and a longer finish than the first sip suggests. In stock at Off Premise in Lincoln Park.