Vignes du Maynes 2020 Vin de France Maxceration of Chardonnay

Max has been an integral part of the Vignes du Maynes team for many years now. His rustic red beard can be spotted from many meters away, and his jovial air matches or at least comes very close to the level of the indefatigable Julian Guillot. First gracing the label of Megamix, a co-ferment of red and white grapes that was on the shelf last year (and will likely return later this year), Max's newest cameo is on the label for this skin contact wine, one of the first (if not THE first) to be released from the estate. Our assumption is that this was all Max's idea, and it does not seem like photoshop was used for this label, which shows Max fully reclined in a vat of grapes. Julien tells us that "the presence of beard hair does not alter its a quality in any way." All Chardonnay, with 13 days of maceration, and 22 months aging in foudre, this is a flavorful and aromatically intriguing skin contact ("orange") wine. Notes of lemon meringue, apple sauce and quince on the nose, and subtle orchard fruit on the palate. The wine has just arrived, which may explain why it is currently not a two-day wine (i.e. we recommend drinking it within 2-3 hours of opening). Whether or not it gains some stability after the voyage, at 10.5% it would be hard not to down the bottle in one sitting with a few friends.