# Brindezingue (NV)

- **Producer:** Pierre Borel
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cabernet Franc
- **Region:** Loire, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €22
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, blackcurrant, bell pepper, black pepper, cedar

## About this wine

Pierre Borel established his estate in Bourgueil in 2006 after completing oenological studies and gaining experience at renowned natural wine domaines in the Loire Valley. Managing his vineyard operations by hand, Pierre crafts Brindezingue from a rented vineyard plot situated near a historic Benedictine Abbey. The name Brindezingue is derived from French slang for being tipsy or merry, capturing the unpretentious and joyful nature of this Vin de France cuvée.

## Interesting facts

- The name 'Brindezingue' is French colloquial slang associated with being lightheartedly tipsy or merry.
- Winemaker Pierre Borel avoids sulfur during fermentation and racking, calling sulfur additions during racking counterintuitive.
- Pierre Borel manages his entire small estate independently by hand, producing roughly 2,000 total cases annually.

## Food pairing

The high natural acidity and gentle, supple tannins of this light-bodied red make it extremely food-friendly. Fresh acid cuts cleanly through fat in charcuterie and goat cheese, while the delicate tannin structure ensures light meats like chicken and pork are not overwhelmed.

## Wine making process

Organically grown Cabernet Franc grapes are hand-harvested late in the season over multiple passes and fully destemmed. Fermentation takes place spontaneously with ambient yeasts in neutral tanks without added sulfur. After a short ten-day maceration to limit tannin extraction, seventy percent of the wine is aged in tank while thirty percent ages in old oak barrels for nine months. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with a single minimal addition of sulfur.