ZoomRenard2022
Sylvain MartinezAnjou, Loire, France
About this wine
Renard is Sylvain Martinez's three-grape Loire red, built around Pineau d'Aunis (the historic, peppery red grape of the central Loire) with Grolleau Noir and Grolleau Gris filling out the texture. Martinez has farmed three organic hectares in Le Thoureil (Anjou) since 2006, vinifying in the basement of the Abbey of Saint-Maur. The cellar protocol is uncompromising: native yeasts, no additives, no added sulphur. The 2022 vintage carries 11.5% alcohol; expect peppery lift, light tannin, a savoury saline finish on the alluvial-and-limestone substrate. Pineau d'Aunis worked this way reads more like a serious natural-wine Loire red than a regional rarity. A useful by-the-glass for trade accounts wanting a non-Cabernet-Franc Loire red with proper provenance.
Winemaking
Co-fermentation of Pineau d'Aunis, Grolleau Noir and Grolleau Gris. Native-yeast fermentation. No additives, no added sulphur. Vinified in the basement of the Abbey of Saint-Maur.