PINEAU D'AUNIS AND OVALIE CENDRÉE: AN EXQUISITE PAIR!

  

This month the #Winophiles dove into the Forgotten Grapes of France, a charge led by Lynn Gowdy of Savor the Harvest. She very helpfully compiled a list of grapes that are on the decline in France. So I dove into our "cellar" (large wine fridges) to see what might emerge. I settled on a Pineau d'Aunis, an absolutely favourite grape that I don't see often in the US, or outside its home of the Loire Valley, even in France. Schedules won't permit our usual virtual chat, but we will all have a post so stop by and see what everyone is talking about.The list of (and links to) all of us who've written about the many Forgotten Grapes of France is at the end of this post so do scroll over to browse each article and see which forgotten grape you'd like to try.

PINEAU D'AUNIS

Its delicate pepperiness and fragrant red berry notes made Pineau d'Aunis wine immensely popular with royalty and nobility, particularly the English. But despite the covetability, wine produced from this grape has declined over the years. There are several reasons why the grape might have fallen out of favour in viticulture. It can produce irregular yields, but excessive yields negatively impact wine quality. It is also quite sensitive to climate and terroir - in wet climates the small, compact bunches of Pineau grapes are susceptible to botrytis bunch rot, and the vine is susceptible to chlorosis (inhibition of chlorophyll production and therefore photosynthesis, caused by a lack of micronutrients in the soil, and quite common in all plants including house plants). In chalky, limestone-rich soil it usually ripens fast, which arrests development of complex flavours resulting in a flabby wine. On the other hand, clayey soil that holds water quite well - perhaps too well for grape vines - can impede ripening which would result in a flat wine if drinkable at all. In summary, Pineau d'Aunis is a finicky grape.

But still, it is made into still, sparkling, red, white, and rosé wines. I have seen quite a few Pineau d'Aunis rosés here in the US. They are fine, but I much prefer Pineau made into still red wine redolent with notes of strawberry, raspberry, white pepper, and cherry, with a bright acid edge, and delicate red colour over its other styles.

2020 DOMAINE GIGOU PINEAU D'AUNIS + OVALIE CENDRÉE

Domaine Gigou was established by the family patriarch Joël ~1974 in the area around the Coteaux-du-Loir and Jasnieres appellations. He saw potential in the area and pivoted from metalworking to grape vines and wine. His son and daughter joined him eventually in 1998 and 2012, and they are carrying forward his legacy, making organic red, white, and sparkling wines, all estate grown and bottled. Coteaux-du-Loir is a small appellation of all of 70 hectares where the family has its estate. It is a small but mighty appellation putting forth some of the most exquisite and quaffable wines that pair with a variety of foods.

At Domaine Gigou they use indigenous yeasts and age the wine in oak barrels before bottling. It is a small and truly family run operation as evidenced by their website which provides basic but essential information. It is an estate worth visiting if you are in the Chartre-Sur-Loir area. 

At 12.5% ABV, and being so food-friendly, this wine is an excellent choice for an aperitif, dinner, or with a variety of cheeses. We did just that when we had our neighbours over for a long lingering dinner one evening. Just out of the bottle the wine...

Looks: clear, light ruby red

Nose: white pepper, strawberry, raspberry, and a faint hint of fruit compôte

Palate: Echos the nose, and also has an earthy note, soft tannins, and luscious acidity. A light bodied but refreshing and juicy wine with a medium+ finish.

Pairing: We had it with a button of Ovalie Cendrée, a superb ashed goats cheese from the Loire Valley.

The Ovalie Cendrée, a goat's cheese masterpiece from the genius affineur Hervé Mons, is coated in charcoal ash which helps de-acidify the cheese (neutralise the natural acidity of goat's milk), which in turn helps yeasts and moulds develop a bloomy rind on the surface. A co-op in Poitou-Charentes makes the cheese and when it is ~10 days old they send it to Hervé Mons who ripen it for 10 more days before sending to the US and on the way here it continues to ripen/age.

The gorgeous grey and white rind hides a delicious cream line and a lush firm inner core. The cheese is creamy, tangy, mushroom-y, and earthy. All flavours that work in immense harmony with the soft tannins, juiciness, and earthiness of the wine. I don't usually like to have bread with cheese and wine but rather, on its own as a palate refresher after a few bites. I did that with this cheese too, and didn't find the cheese too intense to eat on its own. If you're trying the Ovalie Cendrée with a Pineau red, I recommend that approach of no bread until after.

See below which Forgotten Grapes of France the other writers enjoyed.

• Martin from Enofylz Wine Blog shares “Forgotten Grapes of France: Poulsard Shines in the 2022 Domaine Dugois ‘La Sombarde“
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “A Sauvignon Gris from Bordeaux paired with a Chicken Stew from Zambia“
• Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles shares “Rosé d’Anjou with Groulleau and a budget-friendly variation on Crab Mac & Cheese!“
• Camilla from Culinary Cam shares “A Pair of Picpoul – From Two Continents – with a Simple Salmon Dinner“
• David from Cooking Chat shares “French Alpine Wines and Pairings to Go With Them“
• Gwendolyn from Wine Predator shares “Beat the Wintry Blues: Meet Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Carcaghjolu Neru, and Minustellu from Corsica!“
• Cathie from Side Hustle Wino shares “Channeling Warm Weather Through Forgotten Grapes of France“
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass shares “Jurancon Noir: A very berry grape from southwest France“
• My notes on this pairing are here on Keep the Peas where I talk about “Pineau d'Aunis and Ovalie Cendrée: An Exquisite Pair!"
• Terri from Our Good Life shares “Rediscovering the Gems: Exploring the Forgotten Grapes of French Wine“
• Jeff from Food Wine Click! shares “Forgotten Grapes of France: Fer Servadou from Aveyron“
• Lynn from Savor the Harvest shares “Forgotten Wine Grapes of France – Alpine Wines of Savoie“

MADE IT TO DESSERT WITH A VOUVRAY

In August 2020 the French Winophiles are having a bit of a free-for-all in the Loire Valley! Jill Barth is hosting this month, don't miss her invite post. The options in the Loire are endless. Red, whites, rosés, sparkling wines, pétillant naturel, dessert wines, the Loire offers it all. We were to select whichever wine(s) we fancied, and we've got quite an inspiring list from everyone. Check it out below, and then join us on 15 August at 8 AM PST to talk about Loire wines on Twitter under #winophiles.

• Muscadet is Not Muscat, Gabure Bigourdane, and (Our Version of) Faire Chabròl | Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Thierry Michon and Domaine Saint Nicolas – Biodynamic Loire Wines |Savor the Harvest
• Savennières and Vouvray: Two Tastes of Loire Valley Chenin Blanc | The Swirling Dervish
• Sweet Wines from the Loire | Avvinare
• Made it to Dessert with a Vouvray | Keep the Peas
• A Vineyard Visit: Organic Clos du Tue-Boeuf with Thierry Puzelat and his Sauvignon Blanc paired with a savory summer tart | Wine Predator
• Turkey and Cabbage Skillet Recipe with Pouilly-Fumé | Cooking Chat
• Enjoying Summer Food with Chinon Wine and a Fun Book | A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cooking to the Wine: “Brendan Stater-West Saumur Les Chapaudaises and Chicken Thighs with Apples and Onions | Somm’s Table
• Summer Sipping: B&G Chenin Blanc and Crispy Baked Pork Chops | Our Good Life
• Montlouis-sur-Loire – 2 Rivers, 3 Zeros and some delicious sparkling wine | Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Exploring the Loire Valley From My Balcony with #Winophiles! | The Quirky Cork
• Funky Loire Pet Nat was born for goat cheese pizza | My Full Wine Glass
• A Crémant de Loire, a Vouvray, and a Rosé D’anjou – I’m all set for the summer | Chinese Food and Wine Pairings
• Touraine Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley – Where Wine and History Reign | Grape Experiences
• Wine Thirsty? That’s No Problem in France’s Loire Valley | L’Occasion

LOIRE WINES + VOUVRAY

The Loire Valley wine region is along the Loire River and stretches from north central France to the Atlantic coast. The region has tremendous natural beauty, gorgeous châteaux, and a long history of winemaking, since the Romans planted grapevines there in the 1st century AD. Loire wines at one point were considered the most prestigious, even more than Bordeaux. A majority of the wine is white, although red wine from Cabernet Franc is also made in some areas. After Champagne, Loire is the second largest region for sparkling wine - crémant. It is also a very diverse wine region that offers exceptionally food friendly wines that are a true expression of their terroir and varietal due to no oak aging. It is a truly vast and varied wine region, sure to have something for every palate!

Each area in Loire has distinct characteristics and is known for certain wines. Almost all ~5,500 acres of Vouvray AOC, near the city of Tours, for example, are dedicated to the Chenin Blanc grape. Chenin Blanc is a high acid grape known locally as Pineau de la Loire and is believed to have originated in the Anjou wine region of Loire sometime in the 9th century. From there it eventually migrated to Vouvray. Vouvray white wines (Chenin Blanc) are categorised as sec, demi-sec, and molleux, and doux depending on acidity and residual sugar. Vouvrays from good vintages have aging potential, although they are also excellent without significant aging. Whatever the style of Vouvray wine, the one common characteristic amongst the wines is freshness/crispness.

For all that the region contributes to French and global culture, the Loire Valley was added to UNESCO’ World Heritage list in 2000. It is an area of France worth visiting regardless of any distinctions. 

THE WINERY + THE WINE

DOMAINE DU VIKING

In the early part of the 20th century, most of Vouvray (like much of viticultural France) was worked by farmers in polyculture. Cows, sheep, and grain were raised alongside vines. Such was the case for the land belonging to Lionel and Francoise Gauthier, the owners of Domaine du Viking. Francoise’s grandparents owned just 2 hectares of vines in the early 1940’s along with animals and grain crops. As is still the case in many areas of France, winemaking was primarily for family and local consumption. Until August 11, 1944 when Francoise’s grandfather, Maurice, was killed by Nazi soldiers after being caught trying to blow up some train tracks. His son, Francoise’s father, was suddenly in charge and in an effort to keep the family afloat, converted all of the land into vineyards. The family haven't looked back since then!

Most of the Domaine's 13 hectares are not on the famous chalk (tuffeau) soils that make up over 90% of Vouvray, but on the hard flinty soils of the northern tip of the appellation. Soils that produce crisp, mineral, and age-worthy Vouvrays.

As shown in the Google street view shot I took, the winery is more of a garage, although they do host tastings there. Domaine du Viking is also quite well known for its sparkling wines, made with the expertise acquired through Marcel L'Homme, the third generation of a family of farmers and vine growers.

2017 Domaine du Viking Vouvray Tendre

13.5% ABV | SRP $14

100% Chenin Blanc

Soil: 

Flint soils of Reugny rather than the more typical tuffeau soils further to the south and west in Vouvray

Vinification: 

Grapes from 50-60 year old vines, hand harvested and hand sorted, pressed and fermented by native yeasts. Aged in tank for at least 12 months before release.

Colour: 

Medium yellow

Nose: 

White flowers, lemon zest, baked apples, a faint earthiness

Palate: 

Sweet white flowers, lemon zest, baked apples, a faint earthiness, and a delightful stony minerality on the finish. Off-dry with a juicy acidity and pleasant amount of residual sugar without being cloying. Medium body and finish, overall a really delicious wine after 3 years in bottle... could perhaps be fine for a while but I'm not sure it would benefit greatly from further aging. 

Pairing: 

We had a very late lunch so we weren't hungry at dinner but by the time 9.30 PM came around we were a bit peckish so we decided to make it a light meal. We enjoyed this wine with two different but similar cheeses... a Fromager d'Affinois Brebicet from Rhône-Alps and a geo-rind MonS Mary dans les Étoiles cheese. Along with a black cherry-charred scallion relish (recipe below), a slathering of raw honey, a sunflower seed loaf, and a baguette.

The MonS Mary dans les Étoiles is a gorgeous goat's milk cheese with a rind of Geotrichum candidum (a mold-like yeast also used in Loire cheeses). It is a creamy cheese with a fresh citrusy, savoury vegetal flavour. The Brebicet is a sheep's milk cheese with a similar consistency to Brie but slightly more pronounced aromas. Can best be described as a sheep's milk Brie.

Black Cherry-Scallion Relish

makes 1 cup

- 4 scallions, cleaned

- 1 tbsp chopped green scallion tops

- 1-1/2 cups black cherries, pitted and quartered

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 2 tsp white wine vinegar

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp pepper

1. Put the scallions in a cast iron pan, and heat until charred and softened but not mushy. Remove from heat, let cool. Halve each scallion and dice.
2. In a medium bowl add the salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil. Stir to mix well. Add the scallions, scallion greens, and cherries. Mix well.
3. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, vinegar to taste.
4. Serve with cheese and sliced baguette.