TerroirSomme

Julie Noel, current winemaker of the famous Patrick Noel label, is currently crafting a world class Pinot Noir from their estate in Menetou-Salon. Focused on site-specific, terroir-driven wines, she has already established herself as a rising star of the Loire Valley with her Cuvee Excellence Sancerre, but this smaller, lesser-known AOC located right next door is just as noteworthy.

Noel’s Menetou-Salon Rouge is 100% Estate Grown Pinot Noir from a limited 1.4ha limestone and clay based plot. A rival to Burgundian Pinot Noirs, this wine is an elegant expression of the variety, masterly blending grapes that are both destemmed and whole cluster fermented. This is where intelligent wine making takes center stage to transform a finicky grape into a wine of soft, velvety tannins with aromatic notes of fresh strawberries, cherries, and herbs, without the distracting flavours from underdeveloped stems. This is definitely a Pinot Noir worth searching, especially for those Burgundian fans looking to avoid Burgundian Prices.