Reuilly ‘Les Fossiles’ Pinot Noir

Definitely a hidden gem in the Loire. About a quarter of Denis Jamain’s vineyards in the centre of Reuilly are planted with Pinot Noir. This unoaked version is a real delight, with its clean, defined morello cherry fruit, soft tannins and balancing acidity. It certainly beats many a recent Burgundy we have tasted.

• Featured in the Guardian, “The Reuilly appellation is nearer to the Cher tributary than the Loire, but its wines are a good-value match for those of the more famous addresses further east. One of the best producers here is Denis Jamain, who works his family’s 18-hectare estate biodynamically – a method of cosmic farming that, despite the fact that many of its precepts are as scientifically robust as astrology, seems to be responsible for more than its share of the world’s finest wines. Jamain has a knack with both sauvignon and pinot, with the wines of both varieties showing the brightness and verve I associate with limestone soils. His pinot is especially charming, whether it’s being used to make a dark raspberry juicy red or a very pale, very graceful stone-fruited rosé.” (David Williams, July 2022, 2020 vintage)