Pinot Noir Libre, Achillee 2021

A bright, eye-catching pale-yellow colour with silver flashes. The nose shows a slightly oxidative characteristic, this isn’t a fault in the wine, this was purposeful. This is followed by touches of sweet almond, and peaches as well as Mirabelle plums. The palate reveals a well-integrated acidity, then led by the peachy style contributed by the Auxerrois. The sweet almond aromas find their echo on the palate. A vivacious streak of acidity expands gradually on the palate, resulting in an elegant finish.

An intense, deep red with violet nuances. The absence of filtration adds to the depth of its colour. This wine will benefit from being opened and left to breathe in advance of tasting it: the slightly animal notes will cede their place to black fruits, (e.g. Morello cherries) and nuts with shells, (hazelnuts and pistachios and almonds), as well as dark chocolate and coffee and spices), its prominent tannins and good acidity balance out and lighten its rich volume and its weight. 

Producer   Domaine de l’Achillée

Origin Alsace, France

Grapes Pinot Noir

Vintage 2021

Alcohol 12.5% ABV

Style Medium body natural red

Bottle size 750ml 

Winemaking Manual harvest into small crates,1/3 of the grapes were crushed by foot, and 2/3 were left whole, and they were all put into a 40-HL stainless steel vat for 8 days of light semi-carbonic maceration. Wild yeast fermentation (with temperature control-using ‘drapeaux’- (pipes that run cold water over the outside of the vats). Pumping over of the cap was carried out manually by pouring the juice back over the cap from a bucket, twice a day. Punch-downs of the cap were carried out once a day, by foot. After maceration and fermentation, the must was pressed, and the press juice and the free-run juice were blended together, the wine was aged for twelve moons, on lees, in the same 40-HL stainless steel vat.

Notes Biodynamic, Natural, Organic