Bellivière 2022 Coteaux du Loir L'Hommage à Louis Derré

In some vintages The Nicolas family bottles a Pineau d'Aunis called "L'Hommage à Louis Derré" - they single out the very oldest vines, which total 0.9 hectare and clock in at over 100 years old at this point. Needless to say, the yields are miniscule. The farming is certified-biodynamic and all work is by hand, including harvest. The bunches are destemmed and the must fermented in used 500-liter barrels with native yeasts and minimal sulfur; the wine is aged in these barrels as well for about a year. In many vintages the wine is so tannic and austere when young that one has doubts about its future. Not so in 2022, as the wine showed beautifully in February of 2026, with subtle blackberry and red currant aromas, with a perfectly structured silky palate, not heavy, with fabulous length and elegance. Hold for 10 years. DL