Pierre Chainier 1749 Rose 2015
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Serve chilled with starters, smoked, grilled or roasted meats, spicy and Asian cuisine.
For Pierre, the Loire was a case of love at first sight, with its vineyards and fresh, fruity wines: so easy to drink either young or venerably old: like the 1893 Vouvrays, still in perfect condition today. Today, the Maison Pierre Chainier is still a family business, based in Amboise, a royal town built on the banks of the River Loire. They are a family of wine merchants, specializing in Touraine wines. With average production of approximately 6 millions bottles (500,000 cases).
His wife Anne Chainier looks after the estates, the Chateau de Pocé and the Chateau de la Roche, in which she also raises thoroughbred French saddle horses, including Gloria de la Roche, a winner of major international competitions. Their eldest son Francois is the managing director of the company. He also owns the prestigious Clos de Nouys and Clos du Gaimont vineyards in Vouvray. Their two other sons, Louis and Philippe, are in charge of exports, particularly to the United States and Canada. Pierre hopes that in the future, they will take over from their mother in the running of the Touraine estates.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Praised for its stately Renaissance-era chateaux, the picturesque Loire valley produces pleasant wines of just about every style. Just south of Paris, the appellation lies along the river of the same name and stretches from the Atlantic coast to the center of France.
The Loire can be divided into three main growing areas, from west to east: the Lower Loire, Middle Loire, and Upper/Central Loire. The Pay Nantais region of the Lower Loire—farthest west and closest to the Atlantic—has a maritime climate and focuses on the Melon de Bourgogne variety, which makes refreshing, crisp, aromatic whites.
The Middle Loire contains Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. In Anjou, Chenin Blanc produces some of, if not the most, outstanding dry and sweet wines with a sleek, mineral edge and characteristics of crisp apple, pear and honeysuckle. Cabernet Franc dominates red and rosé production here, supported often by Grolleau and Cabernet Sauvignon. Sparkling Crémant de Loire is a specialty of Saumur. Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc are common in Touraine as well, along with Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and Malbec (known locally as Côt).
The Upper Loire, with a warm, continental climate, is Sauvignon Blanc country, home to the world-renowned appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Pinot Noir and Gamay produce bright, easy-drinking red wines here.