Pitchounet 2010 (Alain Allier)

Hello,

it’s 24°C in Paris and my legs are sore from running.

I’ve decided to turn my life topsy-turvy again. Is it the effect of spring? Is it the support of my friends and family? Is it the mystical forces of the universe putting everything in its place?  Is it simply the natural progression of the road I’ve been on since 2006? In any case I haven’t felt this confident and energetic in a long time. My agenda and notebook are slowly filling up, and I have tons of projects that will see me through this summer.

One of the things I’m very excited about is that I’ll finally be able to taste a lot of new wines again. Professional tastings are on the agenda, and I’ve started to keep notes of names that pop up at trusted wine shops and bars, so that I have a database to draw from if ever I’m at a lack of inspiration for what to taste (yeah right!)…

New wines don’t necessarily have to be completely new. A new vintage can bring a lot of changes in a wine we thought we knew. This is definitely the case with Pitchounet by Alain Allier. Alain produces natural wines in the Gard, and I discovered his wines last year (with the 2009s which I think was his first vintage) and completely adored his style instantly.

Last year Pitchounet was 100% Cinsaut, had a low alcohol level, and was downed by the liter at every barbecue I attended. We had it slightly chilled, cold, with ice cubes, on the grass, on the sand, on merguez, chicken, salad, and as early as 11AM. It was a big part of summer 2010. It even helped keep everyone motivated during a big move.

This year, 10% Grenache sneaked into the blend. and I don’t know if it’s that or a more sun-baked vintage but in any case Pitchounet has gained 2 percentage points on the ABV level. It’s still full of lush fruit, and definitely has more body and structure to it. I wouldn’t recommend drinking it cold this year as the tanins (probably from the grenache) are much tighter. But it’s still a great fun, friendly wine that will match just about any summer cuisine.

Personally, however, I prefer his cuvée “Tracassier” this year…. more about that in a next post!

Winely yours,

Judith S.