From first smell this wine will have you hooked. It is one of the greatest non-Burgundian Pinot Noirs I have ever tasted. If you had this in a blind tasting you would most likely think you were in a top village in Burgundy like Morey or Chambolle, but the story behind this extremely rare bottling is much more interesting.
Heading to the Loire Valley’s western limits will land you in the coastal region of Pays Nantais. Starting in the 1970s, Guy Bossard began crafting organic wines here with levels of purity, richness, and complexity never before seen in the region—ultimately earning him the industry nickname “The Pope of Muscadet.” So what’s next after achieving this title? Well, you seek out new experiments that will further revolutionize the winemaking in the Loire. Today’s “Ange” is a 100% biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir aged in clay amphorae and bottled without any sulfur additions. These grapes were originally used to blend into sparkling wines, but realizing the purity and potential (and having the unremitting itch of experimentation), Bossard and his protégé, Fred Niger—who has since taken over Domaine de l’Ecu—began bottling new single-varietal wines like this stunning Pinot Noir. It’s brimming with vim and vigor and devoid of the flaws that plague many sans soufré (sulphur free) wines. You can expect a heady nose with a gripping and graceful mouthfeel that opens a new dialogue on what world-class natural wine should epitomize. This is not a drink-and-forget wine; even my first experience (the ‘13 vintage, tasted several years ago) is still fresh in my mind and I have since enjoyed this wine again from magnum and it is aging like a top wine from Burgundy—truly magical. There’s not much else to say other than you must taste this wine—only then will my gushing praise have meaning. Only about 200 cases are produced, and every year we grab as much we can; this time our fandom really paid off, and I’d encourage you to stock up on this truly special bottling.
Domaine de l’Ecu’s Guy Bossard, considered an innovator in biodynamic viticulture, was something of an oddity when he refused chemicals, fertilizers, and herbicides back in the early 1970s. At the time, many vignerons were industrializing their vineyards in an effort to increase productivity, so he blazed a trail in the opposite direction which, in turn, revitalized the region’s wines. He immediately applied for organic certification when establishing the estate and took a step further when achieving certified biodynamic status in 1998—quite a feat when you realize many organic producers are still transitioning to biodynamic. Around 2009, Guy, in an attempt to find a successor, forged a deep relationship with Fred Niger Van Herk. Although Guy is still a part of the domaine, Fred’s passion for harmony and natural balance of the land matches Guy’s, and adds a renewed sense of exploration—the reason today’s wine is made available to you.
The estate-owned vineyard that supplies the Pinot Noir for Ange is a southwest-facing site that sits atop gneiss and orthogneiss soils, both of which are mineral-heavy with smatterings of mica and quartz. His vines are roughly 25-30 years of age. Grapes are, of course, hand-harvested and yields are extremely low—around 25 hectoliters per hectare (compare that to regulations of Grand Cru Burgundy, which hover around 35-37 hl/ha). In the winery, whole grape clusters were fermented with indigenous yeasts and any transfer of juice was accomplished via gravity, i.e., no pumps allowed. The Pinot Noir then aged for 10 months in clay amphorae without any additions of sulfur. Afterwards, it was bottled unfined and unfiltered. The wine is labeled as a “Vin de France” simply because Pinot Noir is not a board-approved grape in Muscadet.
In the glass, the wine shimmers a highly concentrated ruby red with pink reflections along the outer edge. There are almost too many fruit and floral components to note here. Highly perfumed aromas of bing cherry, black raspberry, rose petal, fresh lavender, lilac, red plum, and wild strawberry all openly embrace a core of crushed flint, white pepper, and wild mushrooms. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, yet delicate, tannins that are accompanied with a balancing layer of acidity which perfectly frames the wines core. This is power and grace combined with a wild red fruit base that enhances a mineral-driven presence. Still, the wine is young and full of energy and needs oxygen to open up, so I recommend a 30-45 minute decant in large Burgundy stems before consuming. This will be in a perfect spot come 2020, and will likely live to see its 10th birthday if cellared properly. For pairing, try
this quick and easy mushroom risotto. Cheers!
