Pineau d'Aunis from the Loire Valley

Pineau d’Aunis (also known as Chenin Noir) has long existed in the Loire Valley, but in the twentieth century, at least, it was largely used for blending in bulk wines, and as the century progressed, the amount planted dwindled.

The first wine composed solely of Pineau d’Aunis that I encountered was that from Domaine de Bellivière, about twenty-five years ago, and it was love at first taste. Since then, it’s become somewhat of an insider’s wine, taken up especially by many producers associated with the natural wine movement. Also, as it frequently was just a blending wine, it often is grown outside official appellations and so must be bottled as just a vin de France.

When vinified as a red wine (it can also be vinified as a rosé or white), Pineau d’Aunis has a unique nose of white pepper supplemented by red fruits such as raspberry and cherry. All the wines below are red wines.

Given the names Pineau d’Aunis and Chenin Noir, it had been speculated that the grape was related to Pinot Noir or Chenin Blanc, but DNA analysis in this century have ruled both those hypotheses out.

Here are four pure Pineau d’Aunis and one blend that I recently enjoyed:

CALVEZ-BOBINET

2023 vin de France  Aunis

This wine is light in color and weight with good intensity to its mineral strawberry fruit. Drink cool and young. Synthetic cork closure. 10.5% stated alcohol. 88/A

CLOS DU TUE-BOEUF

2023 vin de France   Pineau d’Aunis

This wine is “natural” in a quite strict sense of the term. It is light in color (which to be fair, is often the case of Pineau d’Aunis), cloudy in appearance, and initially chock full of unpleasant fermentation scents. If you decant it a bit before serving, the wine cleans up and has wild strawberry aromas and flavors in a light body with a good acidic attack, making for a pleasant and refreshing wine. No sulfites were added and total SO2 is 13 g/l. Cork closure. 11.57% stated alcohol. Lot Lpa23.  88/A

COLIN

2022 Coteaux Vendômois   Pierre-François

This wine is a blend of Pineau d’Aunis, Pinot Noir, and Gamay which combine beautifully to give a refreshing, ebullient wine that has some smokiness and white pepper from the Pineau d’Aunis and fruitiness from the Gamay. Drink at 10-12ºC (50-53ºF) according to the back label. Certified biodynamic and organic. DIAM5 closure. 12.5% stated alcohol. Lot Nº226.   90/A 

Famille VAILLANT

Certified organic and biodynamic.

2021 vin de France   100% Pineau d’Aunis   Les Grandes Vignes

Another in the list of low alcohol wines that are delicious. This wine is concentrated, but light on the palate, with typical white pepper aromas and flavors to go with violets and red fruits. Good intensity and penetration. I’d drink this wine over the next 3-5 years. Closure: cork on both ends, agglomerate in the center. 10.50% stated alcohol. Lot L 0121. 89/A

2022 vin de France   100% Pineau d’Aunis   Les Grandes Vignes

Even better than the 2021, the 2022 Pineau d’Aunis is light and elegant with good density to go with its white pepper and fresh strawberry flavors. Closure: cork on both ends, agglomerate in the center. 11.00% stated alcohol. Lot L 0122.  91/A+