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“Garance” is the name of a plant from the rubiaceae family, whose roots were used in the past to produce a red dye, which is a bright, clear shade of red. So it is no surprise that Alain Thiénot offers his daughter a blend of the finest Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims.
Cuvée Garance is proof indeed that the great Pinot Noir vineyards can escape the stereotype and skilfully combine power and elegance. Such is the philosophy of this unique blend full of character and charm.
Grape
A blend of vintage Pinot Noir – Blanc de Rouges – principally from the north/south side of the Montagne of Reims : Aÿ, Cumières, Rilly-la-Montagne. Pinots noirs from Les Riceys complete the blend for further complexity. Picked partly from Thiénot’s own vineyards, located in Premier and Grand Cru vineyard
Vineyard & Vinification Note
The 2010 Vintage: The winter is quite cold but without being excessive, despite some heavy frost in December. The spring is fresh and very dry. The vine bud breaks with a slight delay but without incident around the 20th April. The weather gets warmer and remains overall dry until mid-August. This provides a steady, regular development of the vine and practically stress-free of diseases: ideal conditions for a good maturity. The trend is reversed during the ripening and the end of the cycle is very wet. This late humidity makes it possible to fix the situation with water stress, which was beginning to prevail, but also offers perfect conditions for the development of botrytis. Unsurprisingly, the grey rot damages a part of the harvest and a rigorous sorting of the grapes was essential to maintain the great potential of this singular 2010 vintage.
Dosage: 2g/l – 100% malolactic fermentation
Date of disgorgement: 04/2021 to 12/2021
Cellar ageing: 9 years in Thiénot cellars at Rue des Moissons
Tasting Note
Attractive light golden appearance. On the nose, very intense aromas of ripe yellow fruits – pineapple, peach – and wooden notes cedar. The palate is full, intense and well-balanced. This is a superb wine ; its generous aromas of yellow fruit precede a beautiful final length with plum jam aromas.
James Suckling
This offers a very fresh and attractive nose with a white-floral edge and a savory, wet river-stone note. The palate has a super crisp, pink grapefruit feel with some chalky, fresh bready nuances and a very sleek and dry, elegant finish. Drink or hold. 94 Points, September 2019
Wine Enthusiast
Produced from Pinot Noir grown on the Montagne de Reims, this wine offers great acidity and crisp white fruits. It has depth, concentration, freshness and touches of maturity all at the same time. Drink from 2021. 93 Points, Roger Voss, December 2019
Food Pairing
This full-bodied vintage can pair brilliantly with poultry such as Poulet de Bresse, or a fricassee of wild mushrooms