Pierre Menard Orion Alpha Cabernet Franc 2022
Pierre MenardGrape: Cabernet Franc
Vintage: 2022
Type: Red
The Orion Alpha Cabernet Franc (100%) hails from two plots: one with younger vines, and the other with some very old vines of 65 years at the lower part of the slopes of Clos des Mailles. This marriage between young and old, between fresh vibrance and rich complexity, makes the Orion Alpha an utterly satisfying Cabernet Franc, one that will age well for many years to come! Well worth the wait, if you can handle it. Maceration after destemming for about three weeks, spontaneous fermentation in barrels. No fining or filtration.
Pierre Menard
Pierre Menard grew up in a winemaking family in Anjou. He went on to study winemaking in Angers and to work stints in Pauillac at Chateau Latour, in the Duoro, Canada, New Zealand and in Tokaj, Hungary.
When he returned home to Anjou, he began farming a few rows of his family’s old vine Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc. Traditionally his parents sold the grapes from all 13 hectares of their vines to a cooperative, but they agreed to let him keep some for his own project. In 2013, while still in his twenties, he bottled a miniscule number of bottles in a garage turned wine cellar. This inaugural vintage was received with great critical acclaim and a rising star of Anjou was born. Since then, Pierre has expanded his holdings to more than 1.5 hectares, all farmed biodynamically. He makes several bottlings of Chenin Blanc from these old vines, all dry.
Hand harvesting, gentle pneumatic pressing, fermentation, and aging in a combination of used barrels, sandstone amphora, and tank.