<p>Domaine Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme is the continuation and evolution of the now defunct Puzelat-Bonhomme <glossary title="729">négociant</glossary> project. In the 1990's, <a href="https://louisdressner.com/producers/clos%20du%20tue-boeuf">Clos du Tue-Boeuf</a> was faced with many years of tiny crops caused by late <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1135">frost</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="1136">hail</glossary> or general bad weather. Revenues were tight, and Thierry Puzelat, the younger of the two brothers running the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="427">estate</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> wanted to expand by renting or buying more vineyards. His brother Jean-Marie, in his late forties at the time, did not want to add more vineyard and <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> work to his already heavy schedule. So Thierry started a <em><glossary title="729">négociant</glossary></em> business, set up a winery in the village of <glossary title="683">Monthou-sur-Bièvre</glossary> and sourced excellent vineyards and vine-tenders to buy their grapes.</p>
<p>Thierry being a busy and ambitious man, he soon found himself opening a wine bar in <glossary title="747">Orléans</glossary> and a wine import company (you have him him to thank for the scarcity of <a href="http://louisdressner.com/producers/Vergano/">Mauro Vergano's</a> tasty elixirs!) The <glossary title="729">négoce</glossary> project had gotten bigger than he'd anticipated and he needed a partner. Thierry quickly found one in Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme, a teenager who'd dropped out high school and had helped work a few seasons at <a href="https://louisdressner.com/producers/clos%20du%20tue-boeuf">Tue-Boeuf</a>. Pierre-O, young and motivated, became a partner in his early 20's and the <glossary title="729">négoce</glossary> business was renamed Puzelat-Bonhomme.<br />
<br />
In anticipation of Jean-Marie's retirement from<strong> </strong><a href="https://louisdressner.com/producers/clos%20du%20tue-boeuf">Clos du Tue-Boeuf</a>, Thierry knew the day would come where he would have to re-shift his focus back to his family <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="427">estate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> A plan was then hatched to have Pierre-O continue the <glossary title="729">négociant</glossary> operation under his own name. The switch officially happened with the 2013 <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but Pierre-O has <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> the entirety of the production since 2011. <br />
<br />
Rather than start from scratch with new <glossary title="573">labels</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> Pierre-O has continued making the wines that put Puzelat-Bonhomme on the map: <glossary title="1036">Touraine</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="927">Sauvignon</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> (now <glossary term="Declassification" title="383">declassified</glossary> as <glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">Vin de France</glossary>), "La Tesnière"<strong> </strong>Blanc and Rouge, "In KO We Trust" and of course the infamous and ever-popular "Telquel". Over the last few years, Pierre-O has also been able to purchase vines from which he produces, amongst others, an <glossary title="740">old vine</glossary> <glossary title="927">Sauvignon</glossary> and a red, <glossary term="Declassification" title="383">declassified</glossary> <glossary term="Cheverny" title="283">Cheverny</glossary> called "Vercheny". As of 2019, he owns 4.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> and rents an additional 3.5, from which he mostly produces single <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Varietal" title="1071">varietal</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Single Vineyard Bottling" title="959">single vineyard</glossary> <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvées</glossary> ("Sauvignon POB", "Ormeau des Deux Croix", "La Boissière"...) </p>
<p>In the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> Pierre-O learned everything from Thierry Puzelat and there are obvious parallels with the Tue-Boeuf wines. With the exception of some recently released <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerated</glossary> whites, almost all of the white wines are <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct-pressed</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> then <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferment</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary> in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrels</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The reds see a <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Semi-Carbonic Maceration" title="942">semi-carbonic</glossary> <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermentation</glossary> and then <glossary term="Elevage" title="418">elevage</glossary> in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrel</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Tiny amounts of <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary> are only added at <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary> and if deemed necessary, more often on the whites than the the reds. Even the the entry-level Telquel is usually <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sans Souffre" title="913">sans-souffre</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
producer visit16.09.2021
Pierre-O Bonhomme Visit (2021)
This visit to Piere-O Bonhomme took place in July, 2021.
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/97/85/9785a59a28a0eae830b0e44239a5c9a2.jpg" /><em><strong>Words and photos by Jules Dressner.</strong></em></p>
<p>We pulled up to Pierre-O's large, indescript <glossary term="Chai" title="264">chai</glossary> on a humid, overcast day. Denyse was late (with impeccable timing she got there right at lunch time) so we got started without her by visiting the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/36/50/36500c8213b38b2debbce5d426ed2a29.jpg" /></p>
<p>Pierre-O took it over in 2016. It used to be a fruit coop in the 1970’s, which has proven beneficial because it was already well insulated. It had been inactive for decades, save for a small part of the edicife used for the storage of the Puzelat and later Puzelat-Bonhomme <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négoce</glossary> wines. Many relics from those days can still be spotted: </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/48/c9/48c91b9303914690990c84341df3ead1.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/0c/67/0c6754cdd3cb2caa18d4018214263a2f.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/74/6f/746f646ab3b0a984e7057522a8cc65bf.jpg" /></p>
<p>The front room pictured above is used for <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary> and storing orders before pickup. There is another large room for stocking bottles and an even larger area where Pierre-O <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifies</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/6c/e7/6ce7c308d5c1b7ecc482d7a9ee265010.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/1b/77/1b77fa8e7cf722f3fd79213c35f4ff63.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/a3/9a/a39aa1177bca3330dc2750fc917233eb.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/a1/72/a1723eb2cdefed8416256f746d1ec595.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/d8/63/d863949a7f6578665bc14745eafd9cc3.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/29/e8/29e83a2b8ac4d7980ee83267efd2783e.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/ff/7a/ff7a6c2c7b48520813479ece922fa69e.jpg" /></p>
<p>The <glossary term="Fiberglass" title="445">fiberglass</glossary> and <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary> are you used for <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerations</glossary> and stocking wine right before <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The vast majority of the wines <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferment</glossary> and/or <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary> in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrels</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p>Before tasting, we decided to go check out some vines. Our first stop was a 2.6 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> planted in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sauvignon Blanc" title="927">Sauvignon</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Gamay" title="478">Gamay</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Malbec" title="366">Côt</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/7f/32/7f3216be446463d7660f14b6d83546e8.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/90/84/90848cdc6af48e80f3e454b5c06e622c.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/cf/89/cf899132d30f897952d586594a125391.jpg" /></p>
<p>Wines produced from this land include "Sauvignon POB", "Gamay POB", "Ormeau des Deux Croix" and part of "In KO We Trust". </p>
<p><em>"With the exception of the Sauvignon and Telquel, almost all of the wines I'm currently releasing are single </em><glossary term="Varietal" title="1071"><em>varietal</em></glossary><em>, </em><glossary term="Single Vineyard Bottling" title="959"><em>single vineyard expressions</em></glossary><em> from vines I own or rent". </em></p>
<p>Pierre-O took over this area in 2019. The vines here were planted in 1986 and 1988 but he's had to replant 1600 vines in the past few years. He also wants to plant fruit trees to bring in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Biodiversity" title="1162">biodiversity</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p>After somewhat bouncing back from a very bad bout of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frost</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the vines were now suffering from a particularly vicious cycle of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/ee/62/ee62e9aeaa305fcd2dc01803821844f0.jpg" /></p>
<p><em>“We were fine 10 days ago. I think we missed one </em><glossary term="Contact Treatment" title="328"><em>treatment</em></glossary><em> and it really got us.”</em></p>
<p>While certain sectors of <glossary term="Cheverny" title="283">Cheverny</glossary> will likely produce a half-crop in 2021 (Villemade and Cazin for example), others like Clos du Tue-Boeuf and Pierre-O's will have suffered much worst fates. </p>
<p>We then drove to a second, newly acquired <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> consisting of 1.7 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Chardonnay" title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sauvignon Blanc" title="927">Sauvignon</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The vines are about 15 years old and the prior owner was going to rip them out. In all his <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> Pierre-O is increasingly wanting to replant varieties that do better under the stress of climate change: <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Menu Pineau/Orbois" title="648">Menu Pineau</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Malbec" title="366">Côt</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Pineau d'Aunis" title="799">Pineau d’Aunis</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p><em>"You can always use more <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Pineau d'Aunis" title="799"><em>Pineau d'Aunis</em></glossary><span>.</span></span></span>"</em></p>
<p>Amen. </p>
<p>We then headed back to the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> to taste. Almost all of the 2020's have been <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> save for the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Melon de Bougogne" title="646">Melon de Bourgogne</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> a micro-batch of <glossary term="Romorantin" title="867">Romorantin</glossary> and a <glossary term="Malbec" title="366">Côt</glossary> <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Kwevri/Qveri" title="1287">qveri</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/8d/c5/8dc5a4e5224878f4d73114506c04adf3.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/6d/50/6d50284c9fdd97a585da741eaf902e72.jpg" /></p>
<p>At that point I had to snap a pic of Pierre-O's very unique (dare I say COOL?) shoes.</p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/54/67/54677e4fa2d51aaebf36177dd435dc08.jpg" /></p>
<p>We then jumped into all the <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> 2020's. </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/e1/a4/e1a4e67540cc331a50588b752dfec655.jpg" /></p>
<p>Despite 2020 being yet another dry and hot year, the lack of any <glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frosts</glossary> and a proper <glossary term="Flowering" title="1179">flowering</glossary> meant high <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The grapes were still <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Concentration" title="324">concentrated</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but since there were many more of them the end result was something balanced and lighter in alcohol, with most of the wines in the 12% to 12.5% range. Pierre-O wouldn't be the only <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> praising high <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary> as what made the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> and it shows yet another aspect to the questions they must ask themselves in adapting to global warming. In the end 2020 is the best <glossary term="Loire Valley" title="602">Loire</glossary> <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> since 2014 and one of the best of the decade; the wines truly have the ethereal quality that has become harder and harder to capture in the boiling hot 2010's.</p>
<p>After an impressive tasting, Pierre-O bribed us with POB schwag.</p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/f3/24/f324156d084656047c114cffe9d0bfa6.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/40/28/40288972194dacfcc687e3c1e718e23d.jpg" /></p>
<p>Right around this point, Denyse pulled up and we went to have lunch. </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/d7/df/d7df9fc57c1dfc1b5c0e46974db7480e.jpg" /></p>
<p>Marcel was away with his grandparents and Paul and Gaspard rushed through lunch so they could finish watching Les Petits Champions, aka The Mighty Ducks.</p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/58/5e/585ecc9aa05c117d13bd49dd69be8ed0.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/9b/89/9b89622082ac3dbef72786320fc3d376.jpg" /></p>
<p>QUACK. QUACK. QUACK. QUACK.</p>
<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/04854XqcfCY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>Domaine Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme is the continuation and evolution of the now defunct Puzelat-Bonhomme <glossary title="729">négociant</glossary> project. In the 1990's, <a href="https://louisdressner.com/producers/clos%20du%20tue-boeuf">Clos du Tue-Boeuf</a> was faced with many years of tiny crops caused by late <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1135">frost</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1137">mildew</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="1136">hail</glossary> or general bad weather. Revenues were tight, and Thierry Puzelat, the younger of the two brothers running the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="427">estate</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> wanted to expand by renting or buying more vineyards. His brother Jean-Marie, in his late forties at the time, did not want to add more vineyard and <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> work to his already heavy schedule. So Thierry started a <em><glossary title="729">négociant</glossary></em> business, set up a winery in the village of <glossary title="683">Monthou-sur-Bièvre</glossary> and sourced excellent vineyards and vine-tenders to buy their grapes.</p>
<p>Thierry being a busy and ambitious man, he soon found himself opening a wine bar in <glossary title="747">Orléans</glossary> and a wine import company (you have him him to thank for the scarcity of <a href="http://louisdressner.com/producers/Vergano/">Mauro Vergano's</a> tasty elixirs!) The <glossary title="729">négoce</glossary> project had gotten bigger than he'd anticipated and he needed a partner. Thierry quickly found one in Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme, a teenager who'd dropped out high school and had helped work a few seasons at <a href="https://louisdressner.com/producers/clos%20du%20tue-boeuf">Tue-Boeuf</a>. Pierre-O, young and motivated, became a partner in his early 20's and the <glossary title="729">négoce</glossary> business was renamed Puzelat-Bonhomme.<br />
<br />
In anticipation of Jean-Marie's retirement from<strong> </strong><a href="https://louisdressner.com/producers/clos%20du%20tue-boeuf">Clos du Tue-Boeuf</a>, Thierry knew the day would come where he would have to re-shift his focus back to his family <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="427">estate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> A plan was then hatched to have Pierre-O continue the <glossary title="729">négociant</glossary> operation under his own name. The switch officially happened with the 2013 <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but Pierre-O has <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> the entirety of the production since 2011. <br />
<br />
Rather than start from scratch with new <glossary title="573">labels</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> Pierre-O has continued making the wines that put Puzelat-Bonhomme on the map: <glossary title="1036">Touraine</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="927">Sauvignon</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> (now <glossary term="Declassification" title="383">declassified</glossary> as <glossary term="Vin de France" title="1092">Vin de France</glossary>), "La Tesnière"<strong> </strong>Blanc and Rouge, "In KO We Trust" and of course the infamous and ever-popular "Telquel". Over the last few years, Pierre-O has also been able to purchase vines from which he produces, amongst others, an <glossary title="740">old vine</glossary> <glossary title="927">Sauvignon</glossary> and a red, <glossary term="Declassification" title="383">declassified</glossary> <glossary term="Cheverny" title="283">Cheverny</glossary> called "Vercheny". As of 2019, he owns 4.5 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> and rents an additional 3.5, from which he mostly produces single <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Varietal" title="1071">varietal</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Single Vineyard Bottling" title="959">single vineyard</glossary> <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvées</glossary> ("Sauvignon POB", "Ormeau des Deux Croix", "La Boissière"...) </p>
<p>In the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> Pierre-O learned everything from Thierry Puzelat and there are obvious parallels with the Tue-Boeuf wines. With the exception of some recently released <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerated</glossary> whites, almost all of the white wines are <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Direct Press" title="392">direct-pressed</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> then <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferment</glossary> and <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary> in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrels</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The reds see a <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Whole-Cluster" title="1124">whole-cluster</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Semi-Carbonic Maceration" title="942">semi-carbonic</glossary> <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">fermentation</glossary> and then <glossary term="Elevage" title="418">elevage</glossary> in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrel</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Tiny amounts of <glossary term="Sulfites" title="993">S02</glossary> are only added at <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary> and if deemed necessary, more often on the whites than the the reds. Even the the entry-level Telquel is usually <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sans Souffre" title="913">sans-souffre</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
Article
producer visit16.09.2021
This visit to Piere-O Bonhomme took place in July, 2021.
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/97/85/9785a59a28a0eae830b0e44239a5c9a2.jpg" /><em><strong>Words and photos by Jules Dressner.</strong></em></p>
<p>We pulled up to Pierre-O's large, indescript <glossary term="Chai" title="264">chai</glossary> on a humid, overcast day. Denyse was late (with impeccable timing she got there right at lunch time) so we got started without her by visiting the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/36/50/36500c8213b38b2debbce5d426ed2a29.jpg" /></p>
<p>Pierre-O took it over in 2016. It used to be a fruit coop in the 1970’s, which has proven beneficial because it was already well insulated. It had been inactive for decades, save for a small part of the edicife used for the storage of the Puzelat and later Puzelat-Bonhomme <glossary term="Négociant" title="729">négoce</glossary> wines. Many relics from those days can still be spotted: </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/48/c9/48c91b9303914690990c84341df3ead1.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/0c/67/0c6754cdd3cb2caa18d4018214263a2f.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/74/6f/746f646ab3b0a984e7057522a8cc65bf.jpg" /></p>
<p>The front room pictured above is used for <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary> and storing orders before pickup. There is another large room for stocking bottles and an even larger area where Pierre-O <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifies</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/6c/e7/6ce7c308d5c1b7ecc482d7a9ee265010.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/1b/77/1b77fa8e7cf722f3fd79213c35f4ff63.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/a3/9a/a39aa1177bca3330dc2750fc917233eb.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/a1/72/a1723eb2cdefed8416256f746d1ec595.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/d8/63/d863949a7f6578665bc14745eafd9cc3.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/29/e8/29e83a2b8ac4d7980ee83267efd2783e.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/ff/7a/ff7a6c2c7b48520813479ece922fa69e.jpg" /></p>
<p>The <glossary term="Fiberglass" title="445">fiberglass</glossary> and <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary> are you used for <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerations</glossary> and stocking wine right before <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The vast majority of the wines <glossary term="Fermentation" title="441">ferment</glossary> and/or <glossary term="Aging" title="74">age</glossary> in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Old Oak" title="739">old barrels</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p>Before tasting, we decided to go check out some vines. Our first stop was a 2.6 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectare</glossary> <glossary term="Plot" title="1133">plot</glossary> planted in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sauvignon Blanc" title="927">Sauvignon</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Gamay" title="478">Gamay</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Malbec" title="366">Côt</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/7f/32/7f3216be446463d7660f14b6d83546e8.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/90/84/90848cdc6af48e80f3e454b5c06e622c.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/cf/89/cf899132d30f897952d586594a125391.jpg" /></p>
<p>Wines produced from this land include "Sauvignon POB", "Gamay POB", "Ormeau des Deux Croix" and part of "In KO We Trust". </p>
<p><em>"With the exception of the Sauvignon and Telquel, almost all of the wines I'm currently releasing are single </em><glossary term="Varietal" title="1071"><em>varietal</em></glossary><em>, </em><glossary term="Single Vineyard Bottling" title="959"><em>single vineyard expressions</em></glossary><em> from vines I own or rent". </em></p>
<p>Pierre-O took over this area in 2019. The vines here were planted in 1986 and 1988 but he's had to replant 1600 vines in the past few years. He also wants to plant fruit trees to bring in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Biodiversity" title="1162">biodiversity</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p>After somewhat bouncing back from a very bad bout of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frost</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the vines were now suffering from a particularly vicious cycle of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Mildew" title="1137">mildew</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/ee/62/ee62e9aeaa305fcd2dc01803821844f0.jpg" /></p>
<p><em>“We were fine 10 days ago. I think we missed one </em><glossary term="Contact Treatment" title="328"><em>treatment</em></glossary><em> and it really got us.”</em></p>
<p>While certain sectors of <glossary term="Cheverny" title="283">Cheverny</glossary> will likely produce a half-crop in 2021 (Villemade and Cazin for example), others like Clos du Tue-Boeuf and Pierre-O's will have suffered much worst fates. </p>
<p>We then drove to a second, newly acquired <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcel</glossary> consisting of 1.7 <glossary term="Hectare" title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary term="Chardonnay" title="271">Chardonnay</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Sauvignon Blanc" title="927">Sauvignon</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The vines are about 15 years old and the prior owner was going to rip them out. In all his <span class="zalup"><span> <glossary term="Parcel" title="760">parcels</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> Pierre-O is increasingly wanting to replant varieties that do better under the stress of climate change: <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Menu Pineau/Orbois" title="648">Menu Pineau</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary term="Malbec" title="366">Côt</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Pineau d'Aunis" title="799">Pineau d’Aunis</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p><em>"You can always use more <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Pineau d'Aunis" title="799"><em>Pineau d'Aunis</em></glossary><span>.</span></span></span>"</em></p>
<p>Amen. </p>
<p>We then headed back to the <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> to taste. Almost all of the 2020's have been <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> save for the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Melon de Bougogne" title="646">Melon de Bourgogne</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> a micro-batch of <glossary term="Romorantin" title="867">Romorantin</glossary> and a <glossary term="Malbec" title="366">Côt</glossary> <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinified</glossary> in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Kwevri/Qveri" title="1287">qveri</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/8d/c5/8dc5a4e5224878f4d73114506c04adf3.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/6d/50/6d50284c9fdd97a585da741eaf902e72.jpg" /></p>
<p>At that point I had to snap a pic of Pierre-O's very unique (dare I say COOL?) shoes.</p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/54/67/54677e4fa2d51aaebf36177dd435dc08.jpg" /></p>
<p>We then jumped into all the <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottled</glossary> 2020's. </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/e1/a4/e1a4e67540cc331a50588b752dfec655.jpg" /></p>
<p>Despite 2020 being yet another dry and hot year, the lack of any <glossary term="Frost" title="1135">frosts</glossary> and a proper <glossary term="Flowering" title="1179">flowering</glossary> meant high <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The grapes were still <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Concentration" title="324">concentrated</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but since there were many more of them the end result was something balanced and lighter in alcohol, with most of the wines in the 12% to 12.5% range. Pierre-O wouldn't be the only <glossary term="Vigneron/Vignaiolo" title="1089">vigneron</glossary> praising high <glossary term="Yield" title="1129">yields</glossary> as what made the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> and it shows yet another aspect to the questions they must ask themselves in adapting to global warming. In the end 2020 is the best <glossary term="Loire Valley" title="602">Loire</glossary> <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> since 2014 and one of the best of the decade; the wines truly have the ethereal quality that has become harder and harder to capture in the boiling hot 2010's.</p>
<p>After an impressive tasting, Pierre-O bribed us with POB schwag.</p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/f3/24/f324156d084656047c114cffe9d0bfa6.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/40/28/40288972194dacfcc687e3c1e718e23d.jpg" /></p>
<p>Right around this point, Denyse pulled up and we went to have lunch. </p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/d7/df/d7df9fc57c1dfc1b5c0e46974db7480e.jpg" /></p>
<p>Marcel was away with his grandparents and Paul and Gaspard rushed through lunch so they could finish watching Les Petits Champions, aka The Mighty Ducks.</p>
<p><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/58/5e/585ecc9aa05c117d13bd49dd69be8ed0.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//883/9b/89/9b89622082ac3dbef72786320fc3d376.jpg" /></p>
<p>QUACK. QUACK. QUACK. QUACK.</p>
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