The 2014 vintage marked the last bottling at Clos Roche Blanche, an iconic domaine and guiding light to young organic and biodynamic-focused vignerons. Their obscure Pineau d'Aunis bottling reached legendary status. Since that final release, I've been on the hunt for an equally compelling source of this pale red grape variety, known for its wispy cranberry and black pepper notes.

Tardieux-Gal's extremely limited Pineau d'Aunis cuvée comes from a single parcel in the village of Thésée, located east of Tours, where there is limestone, white clay, and flint soils. As pale as any red wine you're likely to taste, the fruit profile on the front end fits squarely between cranberry and raspberry. The finish is one of its best elements, with a lingering stardust-like minerality.

As luck would have it, Simon Tardieux worked at Clos Roche Blanche with Catherine Roussel and Didier Barrouillet. After the estate concluded production, he teamed up with neighbor Alain Courtault to begin a new chapter, following the same principles that helped catapult Clos Roche Blanche to stardom. Alain retired in 2020, and their mentee, Jerome Gal, took Alain's place as partner.

Shop Tardieux-Gal