The wines of François and Julien Pinon are considered among the finest of Vouvray. François, a former child psychologist, took over the estate from his father in 1987, and has steadily made a name for the estate. He is a serious winemaker whose main focus is "to keep the typicity of both the appellation and the vintage" in all his wines. Julien's arrival has cemented the family's dedication to organic viticulture and minimal intervention winemaking.
The vineyards are in the corniche of the Vallée de Cousse. The soil is clay and silica on a base of limestone (tuffeau) with flint (silex) and the area is rated among the top sites in the appellation for Vouvrays of distinction and long life. The Pinon follow a discipline of plowing the vineyards, not using chemical fertilizers and pesticides and, of course, he harvesting by hand and uses not using cultured yeasts in the cellar. All new plantings are done by selection massale and no nursery clones are used; the vines are an average of 25 years old. The estate has been certified organic since 2011.
The alcoholic fermentation occurs in wood barrels. Then the wines are aged in stainless steel or foudres (big casks, about twice the size of barrique Bordelaise) to obtain a balance between fruit and reduction. There is one racking to remove the heavy lees and the wine remains on its fine lees until bottling, which takes place a full year after the harvest to "finish" the wine. Rather than use a large dose of SO2, Pinon prefers to gently filter his wines to ensure their stability and aging potential.
The two main wines of the estate are both meant to highlight the area's two distinct terroirs. The "Trois Argiles" cuvée, grown on heavy clay with limestone subsoils, is what is termed a vin tendre; the sweetness is between a sec and demi-sec. It has a delicate sweetness in the attack that gives over to a pleasant citrus finish with resonance and length. It has flavors reminiscent of apples and quince with a slightly spicy accent. This wine will continue to develop with age, but is affable and charming when drunk young.
"Silex Noir" is named for the black flint soils characteristic of two parcels totalling 3.7 hectares. Just like limestone, flint is left by ancient seabeds. Millions of shells and other organisms make up deep layers of limestone (or chalk), while more complicated chemical interactions between silica (contained in seawater) and organisms such as sponges created nodules of hard flint, which embedded itself into the limestone.
The other significant part of production are the sparkling wines (bottled brut nature and brut) produced from grapes on more neutral soils as well as the estate's youngest vines. The weather of the vintage will affect the amount of sparkling made each year: if it was a rainy year, the Pinon make more sparkling because in drier vintages, the grapes reach maturities more suited for still wines.
When the weather in September and October creates the right conditions for noble rot and/or passerillage (sun or wind-dried grapes), Pinon makes a whole range of Vouvrays: sec, demi-sec, moëlleux, and, more rarely, a grain par grain selection that results in a liquoreux.
Searched for: brand: francois pinon
Processing Confirm
Do you agree?
When shopping for grocery items, we want to make sure you know that Empire Wine & Spirits, LLC dba Empire Wine & Liquor and Empire Edibles, LLC (dba Empire Too) are separate businesses.
Wine & Liquor are sold through Empire Wine & Liquor and Grocery items and Beer are sold through Empire Too.
In order to accept a transaction containing items from both businesses, there will be a separate charge originating from each respective business.
Final rates will be calculated in the shopping cart. Gift cards sold by Empire Wine & Liquor CAN NOT be used on items sold by Empire Too.
Each coupon only applies to the above specified qualifying item.
How to redeem the coupon:
- Add the coupon to your shopping cart by clicking the apply coupon checkbox. Each coupon is only valid for a limited time or while stocks last. Once you have applied a coupon, the date by which you must redeem it (the "Expiry Date") will be displayed on the coupon. You will usually have until 11:59pm on the expiration date to redeem the coupon. Quantities are limited and collected coupon may expire before the expiration date.
- Add a Qualifying Item to your shopping cart by clicking the "Add to Cart" button.
- When you're done shopping, click the "Proceed to Checkout" button and place your order for the Qualifying Item.
- The coupon discount will be automatically applied at checkout, reducing the price of the Qualifying Item accordingly. If the discount has been applied successfully, it will appear on the final Checkout page.
Terms and Conditions:
- Empire Wine & Liquor, LLC reserves the right to modify or cancel any coupon at any time.
- Each coupon may only be used at www.empirewine.com for the purchase of Qualifying Items.
- Each coupon collected can only be used once. Customers may be able to collect some coupons more than once, however, customers may not collect and use a coupon more than 10 times and may not use more than one of the same coupon in a single order.If you return any Qualifying Item(s) purchased with a coupon, the coupon discount or value will be subtracted from the refund you receive.
- Offers valid in each case while stocks last.
- Coupons have no cash redemption value and are not transferable or assignable.
- Coupons must not be used in conjunction with any other promotional discounts.
