Rencontre Pinot Noir
IGP PAYS D’OC RED
MEN
André RECH, Henri VERGÉ, Jérôme BOYÉ, Roger PORTA and Nicolas PICCOLO, grape producers for Anne de Joyeuse for more than thirty years, have sculpted their vineyards to obtain the best possible quality of grapes at the right time.
THE VINEYARDS
5 vineyard plots are selected: «La Serre», «Luguel», «Pountarou», «Ferriol» and «Prat De Rouyre». They are located between 100 and 300m in altitude under the Autan and Atlantic climates. They are characterised by their situation at the top of hill slopes with ‘Molasses’ soils (a conglomerate of gravel, clay and sand) and also some gravel terraces situated on the lower part of slopes.
THE 2012 VINTAGE
The summer was fresh during July followed by a warmer month of August with a wide difference between night time and daytime temperatures (180C – 31oC), ensuring optimal ripeness of Pinot grapes at the time of their harvest at the beginning of September.
VINIFICATION
Handpicked with low yields (30 hl/ha), the Pinot Noir is sorted, grape by grape on a conveyor belt. It is then vinified in a tradition way with a cold pre-fermentation maceration to preserve the fruit’s aromatic potential. The crust is submerged twice a day during the three first days, then once a day until the end of the fermentation process. The wine is tasted each day to regulate the maceration period and enable us to establish the best time to empty the tanks. A maturing period of 10 months in 225 litre barrels completes the wine’s structure and fully develops its potential. The wine is matured for a further year in bottles.
TASTING NOTES
«RENCONTRE» Pinot Noir 2012 is best tasted between 12 and 14° C. It will fully reveal it’s potential if it is decanted an hour before service. It will then present a bright ruby colour, a suggestion of cherry brandy on the fresh nose. The fruit persists on the palate, evolving on spicy notes to a wonderfully fresh and elegant finish.
MATCHING WITH FOOD
THE Pinot Noir 2012 «RENCONTRE» will enchant you with cocotte-cooked poultry with morel mushrooms or with smoked pork ribs and a panoply of fresh vegetables. It would also surprise you alongside a pigeon with a sauté of girolle mushrooms and a raspberry purée. Or you may be tempted by a «RENCONTRE» to accompany a crusty bread and butter pudding with fresh figs and pistachio ice cream.
