2013 Pinon Vouvray

J

Jay Miller

Jay Miller
I thought this was just going to be filler in the 6 bottle fund raising case. Couldn't have been more wrong. Simply gorgeous wine filled with granite rocks with a light coating of honey and citrus. Amazing nose.

There must have been a lot of work put in at the sorting table to make a wine this beautiful in a year like 2013.

Only caveat is our discussion was that we weren't sure how it would age given that it's giving so much more than most new release Pinons. Though that might just be prejudice against wines that show so well on release.
 
back after The Great Hail of april 2013 the word was that none of pinon's vineyards would be producing fruit. 100% loss.

purchased fruit?
 
originally posted by robert ames:
back after The Great Hail of april 2013 the word was that none of pinon's vineyards would be producing fruit. 100% loss.

purchased fruit?
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As per the CSW notice they "only" lost 85% of the crop in 2013. I believe more was lost in 2012.

I had thought all the fruit went into this bottling but wine-searcher shows the 2013 Tradition at WHWC and the 2013 Silex at some place in NJ.
 
How is Pinon doing? I hope he is doing well considering how tough things have been for him the past couple of years.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
2013 Pinon VouvrayI thought this was just going to be filler in the 6 bottle fund raising case. Couldn't have been more wrong. Simply gorgeous wine filled with granite rocks with a light coating of honey and citrus. Amazing nose.

There must have been a lot of work put in at the sorting table to make a wine this beautiful in a year like 2013.

Only caveat is our discussion was that we weren't sure how it would age given that it's giving so much more than most new release Pinons. Though that might just be prejudice against wines that show so well on release.
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Le 2013!

I've always loved Pinon's wines, but his stock just went up with this bottle. How many, when hammered by mother nature, can dial back like this, and make a lighter wine of some early complexity and impeccable balance?

So we opened one of the eight bottles made, right?
 
I opened one too, so I guesss there are only six left in the world?

This bottle was incredible and there is no harm in drinking it now. I have been buying the wines here and there for a few years, but with the regime change at Huet, it will be easy to shift almost all of my Vouvray purchasing to Pinon.

I'm not sure Le 2013 is one for the cellar, but that is irrelevant given how little there is to go around.
 
originally posted by Don Rice:
I'm saving mine for ten, fifteen and twenty years.
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You have a deeper reserve of Pinon to draw on than I do (both in terms of bottles and drinking experience). Le 2013 reminded me a little of the 2010 Silex upon release, in terms of its balance and sec-tendre profile, but Le 2013 is much lighter and thinner now than the Silex was then. I am sure it will be fine for awhile, but to me that says it probably won't be better for my palate at age 15-20 than within the next few years. I am certainly not an expert, however, and Julien Pinon once regaled me with a story of the 1921 being fantastic at age 90 in 2011, so all I can do is guess - probably incorrectly. But Don, have you tasted it and/or corresponded with Francois about it? Or is that just your general rule with Pinon, or Vouvray writ large?
 
I haven't opened any of the wines from the Partners pack I have in hand yet (with one still on the way), but I was really touched by the thank you note from Francois that came with it. It is hard to explain the emotion, but his sincere expression of gratitude made me feel even more grateful that I could help him in my own small way.
 
originally posted by Michael Lewis:
originally posted by Don Rice:
I'm saving mine for ten, fifteen and twenty years.
Click to expand...

You have a deeper reserve of Pinon to draw on than I do (both in terms of bottles and drinking experience). Le 2013 reminded me a little of the 2010 Silex upon release, in terms of its balance and sec-tendre profile, but Le 2013 is much lighter and thinner now than the Silex was then. I am sure it will be fine for awhile, but to me that says it probably won't be better for my palate at age 15-20 than within the next few years. I am certainly not an expert, however, and Julien Pinon once regaled me with a story of the 1921 being fantastic at age 90 in 2011, so all I can do is guess - probably incorrectly. But Don, have you tasted it and/or corresponded with Francois about it? Or is that just your general rule with Pinon, or Vouvray writ large?
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Don has more experience than I, and I haven't had the 2013 yet, so I can't attest to the degree of similarity, but I've opened the 1997 Tradition for Thanksgiving each of the last few years and it has continued to delight. So 15 years doesn't seem too ambitious.

I'm hoping to organize a tasting with some of the locals who have purchased one or more Partners packs where we each sacrifice one bottle for a comparative tasting, so we each will know what to expect from the rest of our wines (and for the pleasure of enjoying them with each other). I'll post notes if I manage to pull it off.
 
Those notes would be much appreciated.

To be clear, I do not mean to question whether the Pinon wines are, in general, ageworthy - I think it is fairly well settled that they are. But not every wine is meant to be cellared for 20 years, and for whatever reason, this bottle gave me the impression that the most pleasure I will find in it, personally, can be found now. And it's a great deal of pleasure, including contemplative pleasure, and so I have no regrets about opening it. Will I find that I am wrong in 20 years time? Maybe Don will invite me over then to see.
 
originally posted by Mike Evans:
I haven't opened any of the wines from the Partners pack I have in hand yet (with one still on the way), but I was really touched by the thank you note from Francois that came with it. It is hard to explain the emotion, but his sincere expression of gratitude made me feel even more grateful that I could help him in my own small way.
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Agreed. I was also moved by the note.
 
Pinon's off-vintages can be sleepers. 98 showed well for Andrew a couple months ago and the 99 was still youthful a few years back.

Since it's not going to be a wine that any of us can really know well, I'll happily take my chances and spread the experiences out.
 
Pinon Vouvray "Le 2016" has a faint lovely nose with hints of dried quince. This may lack the immediately loveliness of "Le 2013" but it is remarkably comforting, a bit like snuggling under a warm down quilt on a cold winter's night. A wine of character and a further testimony (as if any were needed) to Francois' talent and dedication.
 
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