Bouchard Aine & Fils Pinot Noir Pays d'Oc 2017
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Intense ruby color. Expressive and intense with notes of jammy fruits, spices and herbs. Palate is friendly, harmonious and structured with round tannins. Black currant, licorice and black cherry flavors followed by a long lasting vanilla-tinged finish. A wonderful companion for the entire meal.
Can be enjoyed by itself as an aperitif! Classic pairings include cold cuts, duck, and roast beef. Fun pairings include pizza, risotto, lamb, Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine, Caesar salad, Parmesan cheese and fondue.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A catchall term for the area surrounding the Languedoc and Roussillon, Pays d’Oc is the most important IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) in France, producing 85% of this country’s wine under the IGP designation. (IGP indicates wine of good quality, not otherwise elevated to the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status.)
The near perfect Mediterranean climate combined with dry, cool winds from the north, optimal soils, altitudes and exposures make Pays d’Oc an ideal wine growing region. Single varietal wines and blends are possible here and while many types of grapes do well in Pays d’Oc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grenache and Cinsault are among the most common.