Pinot Noir
75cl * 13% ABV * Pays d'Oc, France
Childhood friends Christian Collovray and Jean-Luc Terrier each grew up in a family of winemakers and shared a bond from a young age. Following the success of their first property Domaine des Deux Roches, in 1997 Christian and Jean-Luc branched out from Mâcon and purchased land in the southwest of the Languedoc in Limoux for its high-altitude benefits. Just as they did with Domaine des Deux Roches, the duo sought and received their High Environmental Certification in 2017.
The foothills of the Pyrenees are littered with Turitelles, marine fossils which abound in the vineyard plots of Domaine D`Altugnac on the slopes of the Upper Aude Valley. The sites elevation of up to 500 meters along with this shallow limestone-based soil are ideal for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Cool nights help moderate the warm, sunny Mediterranean days and promotes slow, full maturation of the grapes.
Purposeful but limited intervention in the winery includes cold maceration to allow the fresh aromatic quality of the grapes to shine through and daily gentle lees stirring to extract silky tannins. Maturation too takes place in stainless steel or concrete tanks. The final garnet-coloured juice is perfumed with delicate nutmeg and cinnamon spices, mocha and tart cherry which are echoed on the palate and held in place by those velvety tannins. Made to drink fairly young, pair with Mediterranean lamb, meaty tuna and swordfish, poultry, and earthy vegetables like beetroot or stuffed pumpkin and peppers.