2020 Domaine de Bellivière Coteaux du Loir Rouge-Gorge

WINEMAKER: Christine, Clément & Eric Nicolas
REGION: Loire Valley, FR
VARIETAL: Pineau d'Aunis
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic

RARE.

45yo 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." - Andrew Guard"

All vineyard treatments are organic, careful plowing is done to protect soil fauna and minimal organic composts are applied. New plantings are by massale-selection from their old vines, vinifications are in barrel with wild yeasts, and their new cuverie permits all handling of the grapes and wine by gravity without pumping. Bellivière wines are made in a very natural manner but are meticulous and fine. The cellar is carved out of the hillside tuffeau and maintains consistent temperature and humidity (thus there is zero temperature control of any kind).