Pierre Menard Quart de Noels 2020

Pierre Menard Quart de Noels 2020

Pierre Menard
$50.00

Grape: Chenin Blanc
Vintage: 2020
Type: White

This dry chenin blanc is sourced from the historic Quart de Noëls single vineyard, a prime parcel planted in 1920 on pure schist soils. Winemaker Pierre Menard manages the old vines biodynamically, picking by hand early in the season to capture a structural core. The fruit undergoes a spontaneous native yeast fermentation inside neutral French oak casks, bypassing modern chemical additives or modifications. It matures on its noble fermentation lees for nearly a year to allow the structural components to settle.

It displays a bright gold hue, releasing aromatics of wet stone, candied pear, and a line of marine salinity. A medium-to-full-bodied frame pairs dense stone fruit flavors with a chiseled mineral baseline. A sharp wave of natural acidity cuts cleanly through the waxy texture, providing excellent structural tension. The old-vine depth keeps the center focused and lively throughout the mouthfeel. It finishes completely bone-dry, leaving a long, persistent trail.

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.