2021 Rouge-Gorge

45 year oold Pineau d'Aunis vines planted in heavy, siliceous clay over limestone which give yields that the Nicolas family limit to a maximum of 25hh, destemmed 100%, and cuve fermented with just a little pigeage à la main with a three weeks cuvaison.
Pressed and assembled it was then aged in old demi-muids for a year and bottled with no filtration and a total of 30mg/l of sulphur. It has a hauntingly beautiful perfume of wild strawberries, mulberries, cracked pepper with a floral note, rose, pepper, smoke, licorice, tobacco....enchanting and it is sad that only 40 hectares remain in the Loire today. This is cherry red with very attractive aromas of pepper, musk and five spice overlapped with cherry and damson. As always it is crisply fruited and buoyant in the mouth where it dances around joyously. This very rare wine will cellar for up to 10 years but is extremely attractive young for it's vibrancy and attack. Best served lightly chilled