DOMAINE DAMIEN PINON : VOUVRAY AND TRENDY

Vouvray is one of the hottest categories of white wine at the moment : the Chenin Blanc from this appellation is sought after, for the elegancy, the minerality and the complexity it has, in different forms !

Domaine Damien Pinon has been one of our strongest partners from this area. Damien and Ingrid Pinon, 3rd generation, are located in Vernou-sur-Brenne, and are farming 29 hectares, producing only Vouvray (under all its shapes : dry, sweet, still, sparkling...). They are certified organic since vintage 2023.

Damien produces sparkling and still wines, with the aim of expressing the delicacy and the complexity of his terroirs, located on the famous “tuffeau”.

The wines are aged in a gallery of tuffeau, that he dug by hand (with a pickaxe, of course), along with his father and grandfather when he was a teenager.

While the entire range is outstanding, sublimed by the minerality coming from the limestone soil, we can highlight one wine : Le Brut. This best seller is a Brut sparkling Vouvray, which averages 6g of residual sugars. Thin bubbles, complex nose of white flowers and pear, great finale, it is the perfect wine to enjoy in a warm weather day, and will easily be a great alternative to Champagne!

To taste Damien and Ingrid’s beautiful, reach out to us.

DOMAINE LE CAPITAINE : MORE VOUVRAY

Alain Le Capitaine settled in Rochecorbon, in 1988 with only a half-hectare and was joined by his brother Christophe in 1995. Florian, son of Alain, joined them in 2013, while developing his own wine project on the side : his Vouvray are aged in barrels, and tend to be a little more full-bodied. Bruno Lafon Selection also represents Florian’s wines !

Today, the vineyard expand on 28 hectares : Alain and Christophe are producing the entire range of Vouvray (dry, demi-sec, sweet, sparkling), and sparkling Touraine rosé with the traditional method, made with Gamay.

If the wines are made in a traditional cellar with stainless steel tanks, the wines, as Damien Pinon’s wines, are aged in a tuffeau gallery, much older : it is dating back from the 11th century!

Domaine le Capitaine vinifies its terroirs separately, as some clay can be found on top of tuffeau, and blends them after tasting.

If you wish to try the wines, please reach out to us !

LES FLEURS : ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND THE PERFECT BTG !

Les Fleurs is a project imagined by Bruno Lafon : the wines are crafted in the South of France and are expressing the idea of being the most environmentally friendly possible, with :

- Light bottle with recycled glass

- Recycled paper for the label and boxes

- Eco-friendly ink

- Organic wine

The most interesting thing : the wines taste really well and average BTG/wholesale $10.

Les Fleurs white is a blend of Grenache, Vermentino and Sauvignon Blanc and Les Fleurs red is made of mainly Cinsault.

Get your samples !

DOMAINE PAUL AUTARD : THE REPRESENTATION CHANGES

Domaine Paul Autard is an iconic estate of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, that in the beginning of 2024 decided to hand over their US representation to Bruno Lafon Selection.

While their current distribution does not change, we became the new point of contact and will handle the development of their sales in the US.
Few states are open, so do not hesitate to reach out.

Jean-Paul Autard carries on the family tradition, taking over at 17 years old, after his father passed away, and his daughter Pauline now works with him.

With 26 ha of vines mostly in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Autards feel privileged to have inherited vineyards in which the 40 to 95 years old vines of different varieties are perfectly adapted to the soil types and planted in a terroir of rounded pebbles and blocks of fossilized limestone.

No pesticides, chemical products or fertilizers are used.

BORDEAUX PRIMEURS 2023 : WHAT ABOUT PETITS CHATEAUX ?

The campaign En Primeurs 2023 just happened in Bordeaux : this event, presenting over 400 Châteaux, is mainly focused on Grands Crus Classés, which is not our core business.

The campaign also helps to give an insight about the Bordeaux vintage, and for 2023, its seems that it was great year for the white wines, very aromatic, thanks to a cool spring! On the red wines side, it is showing a softness in the tannins, and a juiciness with red fruits and berries aromas on the nose.

As you may know, we represent Bordeaux wines in our portfolio, and we partner with Borderac, a small négociant that is focus on featuring Petits Châteaux, and many are exclusive to them.

I will recommend to keep an open eye to the next newsletter !

CHABLIS : MORE FEAR THAN HARM

The vineyard of Chablis was struck by hail at the beginning of May. It was said to be a “violent supercell storm” by Météo France. It is indeed a very impacted area of France by climatic hazards.

Some areas were hit harder than others, but it was mainly confined to some sectors.

Our producers in Chablis, Domaine des Quatre Saisons and Domaine Grivot-Goisot, were not really affected : some slight losses to report on the former, while the latter suffered more from frost in April, according to our Burgundy partner,

But be assured that it will not impact the volumes : luckily, Burgundy has had a good harvest in 2022, so we still have plenty in stock, vintage 2023 followed the same path and will be available soon (if not already for some winemakers), so vintage 2023 should not be a problem!

Should you be looking for some Chablis or other Burgundy wines, please let us know.