Château de Fosse-Sèche : La Réserve du Pigeonnier 2022

Characteristics and tasting notes of "La Réserve du Pigeonnier" 2022 from Château de Fosse-Sèche

Tasting

Colour
This wine reveals a deep garnet red hue.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet expresses beautiful complexity, blending floral scents of violet with ripe fruit aromas such as cherry and blackcurrant. Subtle mineral and liquorice notes, along with a light smoky touch, enrich the whole.

Palate
The attack is refined and elegant, introducing a silky texture with remarkably fine tannins. The palate reveals dark fruit flavours supported by a mineral and saline backbone typical of its terroir. The finish stretches out with freshness and persistence.

Food and wine pairing

This red wine pairs perfectly with roasted poultry, particularly pigeon, as well as red meats accompanied by a mushroom or wild berry sauce. It will also beautifully complement aged cheeses with an earthy character.

Service and storage

With excellent aging potential, "La Réserve du Pigeonnier" 2022 can continue to evolve in the cellar and be enjoyed until at least 2042.

The pure expression of Cabernet Franc on a unique terroir in the Loire Valley

The estate

Created in its modern form in 1998, Château de Fosse-Sèche is a leading name in the Loire Valley. Today, the estate is run by twin brothers Guillaume and Adrien Pire, alongside their partners. Deeply committed to environmental practices, the estate stands out through its organic and biodynamic certification, as well as the creation of a vast biodiversity reserve. The winemakers craft authentic wines here, seeking to express the purity of their unique terroir with minimal intervention.

The vineyard

Located on the Brossay plateau, this vineyard benefits from a Jurassic terroir that is atypical for the region, composed of flint and iron oxide, with no trace of free limestone. This geological particularity, combined with a cool and windy exposure, gives the grapes a slow and gradual ripening. The vines, cultivated without any chemical inputs for over thirty years, thrive within a preserved ecosystem. Although produced in this historic area, this wine is classified under the Vin de France designation in order to fully assert its exceptional geological identity.

The vintage

2022 was marked by demanding climatic conditions across French vineyards. In this region, the growing cycle had to contend with early drought as well as periods of intense heat. Despite this water and heat stress, the vines managed to withstand it, yielding grapes of beautiful concentration.

Winemaking and aging

The harvest is carried out by hand, followed by total destemming and rigorous sorting. Maceration lasts 21 to 24 days at controlled temperatures. "La Réserve du Pigeonnier" 2022 is then aged on the lees for 33 months. This stage takes place exclusively in porous concrete egg-shaped vats, with no oak ageing, allowing gentle micro-oxygenation while preserving the brightness of the fruit.

Grape variety

This wine is made exclusively from 100% Cabernet Franc, from very old vines planted in 1951 and 1953.