From: Vin de France (Loire Valley) France
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Taste: This is juicy, playful fruit and red berry aromas. It's a subtle, fragrant red with silky tannins, sustaining acidity, chalky minerality, and a stylishly judged balance of fruit and tannin.
Pairing: “Mushrooms and Pinot Noir go hand in hand. Whether roasted, grilled, or prepared in a savory risotto, the earth-driven notes of the dish are brought to life by the zesty, soil-driven notes found in Old World Pinot Noir.” - Vicki Denig
Other pairings that work well with this charming and zesty Pinot Noir include serving this alongside salmon, light risotto, or pasta, roasted winter vegetables, goat cheese, charcuterie, and poultry/ham served as the main course, as appetizers, or as picnic fare (check out the recipe below).
Ham Buns
Recipe from Jennifer Owens and Frances Owens
Adapted by Sara Bonisteel
About. Many thanks to importer Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants for the following information. Domaine du Salvard has been a working domaine since 1898, through five hardworking generations of the Delaille family. Today, all forty-two hectares of vineyards are farmed by the capable brother team of Emmanuel and Thierry Delaille, with help from their father Gilbert. To our delight, they have carried on the traditions established by their ancestors, producing a true, classic Cheverny that is both simple and elegant. The Delaille brothers have focused their attention on growing fresh, lively Sauvignon Blanc, deeply rooted in the sand, clay, and limestone plains of northeastern Touraine. Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Cot constitute their red grape holdings, creating youthful reds with great aromatics. Gilbert and his sons have also made their own contributions to the heritage of the domaine, including the introduction of sustainable farming practices into the vineyards, as well as temperature-controlled vinification equipment to the winery.
Until finally achieving A.O.C. status in 1993, Cheverny was widely regarded as one of the best V.D.Q.S. (Vin de Qualité Superieur) of the Loire. However, some argue that this A.O.C.-in-waiting designation was a political maneuver by the I.N.A.O. to keep Cheverny’s delicious, sprightly Sauvignon Blanc out of competition with the other more famous appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Kermit was the first to discover the charm and value of Cheverny back in 1978 when he imported the Domaine Jean Gueritte. He took on the Cheverny of Domaine du Salvard in 1992, a year before the status change in the appellation. We continue to tout the domaine’s wine as one of the greatest values for Sauvignon Blanc perfection.
Reds:
• Grapes are 100% de-stemmed
• Six-day maceration for red wines
• Daily pumpovers and punchdowns
