100% Pineau d’Aunis 

Region: Loire Valley, France

Vinification: Grapes are harvested by hand and taken to the winery by horse. The grapes are destemmed and gently pressed. Only natural yeasts are used, the juice undergoes an extended maceration. The wine is aged in barrel for a minimum of 12 months before it is bottled.

Tasting Note: Deep purple in the glass with loads of black pepper corn, smoky bramble and sweet herbs on the nose. The palate is spicy and herbaceous with dried red and black fruit layered with spice. A most unusual and purely elegant wine that finishes with powerful tannins and mineral infused spice.

"Renaud Guettier is a farmer who started the La Grapperie winery in 2004 with very little previous winemaking experience. Today, he works a bit more than 4-hectares of vines where everything is farmed according to organic principles and harvested by hand. Renaud was the first in the Coteaux de Loir AOC to plow his vineyards with a horse—where he spends countless meticulous hours. His vines are spread over 15 tiny plots that sustain a diversity of microclimates along the left bank of the Loire River. These plots enable Renaud to create a spectacular balance with his wines. The majority of his vines are Pineau d’Aunis, however, he also grows some Malbec (Côt), Gamay, Grolleau, and Chenin Blanc. Renaud’s wines are some of the most impressive and powerful wines being crafted in the Loire."

- Jenny & Francois