# Sancerre Rouge Pinot Noir (2023)

- **Producer:** Maison Nicolas Idiart
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Pinot Noir
- **Region:** Loire, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €27
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 12–14 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, raspberry, strawberry

## About this wine

Maison Nicolas Idiart was founded by winemaker Nicolas Idiart, who holds the distinction of being the youngest-ever graduate of Bordeaux's prestigious Blanquefort winemaking school at just 19 years old. After working in New Zealand, Australia, and North America, Idiart returned to the Loire Valley to produce terroir-driven, small-batch wines. Sancerre Rouge is one of the region's best-kept secrets, offering a pure, mineral-driven alternative to Burgundy. This wine showcases the unique clay-limestone soils of the Sancerrois hills, reflecting Idiart's passion for fresh, artisanal, and highly expressive cool-climate Pinot Noir.

## Interesting facts

- Winemaker Nicolas Idiart is the youngest-ever graduate of Bordeaux's prestigious Blanquefort winemaking school, finishing at just 19.
- While Sancerre is famous for white wines, its red Pinot Noir is a historic 'best-kept secret' of the Loire Valley.
- This wine is aged entirely in stainless steel with zero oak contact to preserve the absolute purity of the Pinot Noir fruit.

## Food pairing

This light-to-medium-bodied, unoaked Pinot Noir thrives on its high acidity and bright red fruit. It pairs beautifully with lighter meats, fatty fish like salmon or tuna, and earthy mushrooms. The classic regional pairing with local goat cheese like Crottin de Chavignol works perfectly as the wine's crisp acidity cuts through the creamy, tangy cheese.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process is designed to maximize fruit purity and terroir expression without the influence of oak. Grapes are harvested and placed directly into stainless steel vats for a cool maceration lasting five days at 10 degrees Celsius. This is followed by a 12-day fermentation at 25 degrees Celsius, with daily stirring to gently extract color, tannins, and primary fruit flavors from the skins. Malolactic fermentation is fully completed in stainless steel. The wine is aged entirely in stainless steel vats to preserve its vibrant, crisp red fruit profile and distinct limestone minerality.