Pierre Menard Laika 2020

Pierre Menard Laika 2020

Pierre Menard
$32.00

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2020
Type: White

This dry white wine comes from the Le Clos de la Roche vineyard, a small plot of old sauvignon blanc vines planted in the early 1960s. Winemaker Pierre Menard manages the plot biodynamically on an entire slope of schist soil, an uncommon geology that makes the grape express more like chenin blanc. Hand-harvested fruit undergoes gentle pneumatic pressing and spontaneous fermentation driven by native wild yeasts. It ages in a combination of used barrels, sandstone amphorae, and tanks.

It pours a bright straw hue, releasing refined aromatics of citrus rind, yellow orchard fruit, and wet stones. A medium-bodied, texturally driven frame balances crisp fruit flavors with a sharp line of mineral acidity. The unique schist terroir provides a dense mouthfeel that avoids typical green varietal pungency. Subtle notes of raw almond and wild herbs add depth across the textured core. It finishes completely bone-dry, leaving a lingering trace of salinity.

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.