2021 Domaine de la Villaudiere Sancerre Rose, Loire Valley, France (750ml)   

About the Icons
_{A Red Cellar Trio Wine Club Selection}
This family estate is surrounded by vineyards overlooking the charming village of Verdigny, and offers stunning views of the famous Sancerre hill. For generations the Reverdy family has cultivated this 15 hectare vineyard. Today Jean-Marie Reverdy manages the flourishing Domaine de la Villaudière with his wife, Catherine and their son Guillaume, now the winemaker. Their youngest son, Baptiste, also shares a love of wine, and plans to play his part in the family business when his studies are finished.

The Reverdy family strongly believes in tradition and managing their production with patience and respect for the land. They produce all three versions of Sancerre, blanc, rosé, and rouge. Most wine consumers think of Sancerre as exclusivley white made from Sauvignon Blanc, but today 25% of the appellation is Pinot Noir. The Reverdy family’s vines are now reaching the pinnacle of their quality potential after being planted 40 years ago. 50% is planted in clay-limestone soil locally referred to as “Terres Blanches” and the other 50% in dry, stony limestone soil called “Caillotes.” The vines are pruned and trimmed appropriately throughout the year with extreme precision to ensure maximum fruit potential.

This wine is made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes carefully hand-sorted before going directly into tank for a few days of cold maceration before fermentation. During the beginning of fermentation, the must forms a super-strong solid cap which must be punched-down and mixed daily to ensure proper flavor and even fermenting throughout the tank, resulting in a light, fruity red wine. Once fermentation was completed, the grapes were pressed to tank to be aged on the lees for a few months before being filtered and bottled.

This wine has a sheer ruby hue with crimson highlights. It has a vibrant bouquet and flavors of red cherry, raspberry, rhubarb and cranberry, with a hint of violets and gentle tannins. This is an excellent iteration of Pinot Noir at an exceptional price!