2021 ValentinPineau d'Aunis

The Pineau d’Aunis vines in our vineyard share a lineage with those tended by our friend and colleague in the Loire Valley, Jean-Pierre Robinot. How they came to find a home on the slopes of RHV is a tale of Pain and Glory – not for the faint of heart!

The 2021 Pineau d'Aunis from RHV offers a serious exploration of this unique and unheralded cultivar. Originating in the Loire Valley, Pineau d'Aunis brings its signature peppery spice and delicate red fruit flavors to our limestone soils and California sun, where it develops an altogether West Coast flavor. The wine displays notes of wild strawberries, white pepper, and a subtle herbal quality, all balanced by bright acidity and a refined underlayment of silky tannin that acts like a bandleader, keeping all of the components in harmony without intruding. It's a lightweight, sophisticated yet approachable wine that dances on the palate. With only a handful of producers currently working with this variety in the state, we are breaking new ground with this bottling as we begin the exploration of the potential and expression of California Pineau d’Aunis.