Le Grand Noir Pinot Noir 2009
One of our best selling Pinot Noirs in the store for the past few years is Le Grand Pinot Noir, from the hills of Limoux in southern France. Our customers have gotten used to looking for the sheep on the label.
Sometimes referred to as the “Tuscany of Southern France”, the Languedoc-Roussillon region (where this wine was made) lays at the foothills of the Pyrennes Mountains. Here, vineyards are tempered by the cool sea breezes from both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, creating a perfect climate for Pinot Noir grapes. The grapes come to ripeness amid cool temperatures, and produce quality yields.
After being hand-picked, the grapes are cold soaked for ten days. They are then fermented for up to two weeks and manually “punched down” to extract the maximum color and tannins from the grapes. The wine remains sur lees (method in which the dead yeast and skins from the initial fermentation are allowed to remain in the wine) three months before racking and aging.
The 2009 vintage of Le Grand Noir’s Pinot Noir is very approachable with red cherry and currant flavors balanced nicely with hints of spice. The wine is garnet colored, with a moderate amount of firm, cedary tannins. This wine is a very close approximation of authentic Burgundy, the Mecca of Pinot Noir, at a fraction of the cost!
All sizes are 750mL unless otherwise noted.
Vintages and ratings subject to change at any time.
All pricing and availability subject to change.
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