La Grange Aux Belles "Brise d'Aunis" 2024

La Grange Aux Belles "Brise d'Aunis" 2024La Grange aux Belles has been around since 2004, and they are working with grapes grown on black schist in Anjou, giving the wines a bit more savory sheen than the limestone and clay mix found elsewhere in the Loire. The team of Julien Bresteau, Marc Houtin and Grald Peau are known for excellent organic farming, meticulous grape sorting, and nothing in the cellar except for a small sulfur addition. Their Pineau d'Aunis is like the Oregon Pinot Noir

grippy tannins

A generous

Giannis named it "Great Mother" after the Ancient Minoan matriarchal earth goddess

Optional food pairing: shoot yourself a wild boar

Gremi is less then 12 miles from the Russian border

zero added sulfur

is higher in elevation than the average Castelli di Jesi vineyard at 400 meters above sea level

followed by an additional week of traditional open top fermentation before pressing

I love the invigorating and refreshing tension in this wine from all the competing voices

She burst on to the scene a few years back as part of the Living Wines Collective before venturing out on her own

and its continental climate and sandy soils are the perfect home for the Xinomavro variety

Disgorged June 2023