Les Quatre Piliers Touraine Première Cuvée Pineau d’Aunis 2022

Les Quatre Piliers Touraine Première Cuvée Pineau d'Aunis is a single-variety red from a Loire grape that nearly disappeared in the 1970s.

Pineau d'Aunis is one of the Loire's old varieties, grown historically in Touraine and the Coteaux du Loir and reduced to a handful of hectares before a slow revival took hold; something like 500 hectares are now planted. It gives pale, perfumed reds with a distinctive peppery spice, and it has become a favourite of growers working with minimal intervention. At Les Quatre Piliers, low yields and old vines underpin the purity of this bottling, and the winemaking is deliberately gentle: a little hand plunging during fermentation, then 12 months on lees in Valentin Desloges's bespoke oak barrels, with only a small addition of sulphur at bottling and no filtration. The result is fragrant and silky, with wild strawberry and red-flower character over that peppery spine.

Drink over the next three to five years, lightly chilled if you like. Serve at 14-16°C with charcuterie, roast pork or a plate of grilled vegetables.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.