Description
François et Julien Pinon, Vouvray “Silex Noir”
In case you missed it earlier, today is Vouvray Day—a celebration of an appellation that produces every imaginable expression of Chenin Blanc. Many of you may recognize François and Julien Pinon as the producers of some of Vouvray’s greatest sparklers (including a pétillant that’s been a wine bar go-to for as long as I can remember), but these guys truly do it all—and do it all well. After starting the day with a bone-dry Vouvray Sec, we felt it necessary to kick it up a notch and introduce something a little more advanced without increasing the price.
I say “advanced” because a lot of wine lovers have a tortured relationship with sweetness. It’s the same as when we present an “off-dry” German Riesling: We’re compelled to defend the presence of residual sugar, even though said sweetness is perfectly balanced by the naturally high acidity of the Riesling grape. Well, ditto for Chenin Blanc, which is capable of as many varied expressions as Riesling. Pinon’s “Silex Noir,” so named for the dark, flint-rich soil it is grown in, is above all else a master class in balance. Think of the life cycle of any piece of fruit you take home from the market: There’s a point at which it achieves perfect ripeness—a “sweet spot,” if you will—and we can all agree that perfect ripeness involves plenty of (naturally derived, highly pleasurable) sweetness. When that sweetness is balanced with enough refreshing acidity, as this wine certainly is, it’s downright magical. Have I made my case? I sure hope so. This wine is the total package!
The magic of Chenin Blanc, like Riesling, is that its natural acidity is high enough to support an extremely wide range of styles—as ripeness/sugar levels rise, acid does not fall, at least not as precipitously as in most other grapes. That’s why the sweeter styles, like Demi-Sec and Moelleux, still pulse with lively energy and avoid the common sweet-wine trap of feely syrupy and cloying. Most Vouvray producers harvest their Chenin vineyards in successive passes, giving them a veritable painter’s palette to work with in the winery.
Our fellow Chenin geeks should know that this edition of Pinon’s “Silex Noir” contains around 25 grams/liter of residual sugar, which would put it in the Demi-Sec category at a minimum, but as wine critic John Gilman has written about Silex Noir, the wine is always “…allowed to finish its fermentation wherever it feels balanced, so that it can range from a fairly dry Demi-Sec style in some vintages to a lighter Moelleux.” It’s a delicious example of a winemaker letting nature take its course, and in this specific instance—the 2020 edition of Silex Noir—you’d be hard-pressed to find to call this wine sweet. The balance of softly textured fruit and freshness is incredible.
Dating back to the late 1700s, the Pinon estate is located northeast of the village of Vouvray in the Vallée de Cousse, situated near one of the many little streams/Loire tributaries that crisscross the Vouvray AOC. The vineyard parcel for Silex Noir, farmed organically since 2007, totals about four hectares and includes vines nearing 50 years of age. After the fruit is harvested, the free-run juice flows by gravity into underground tanks for a spontaneous fermentation that can last several months; once it’s complete, the wine is aged 4-5 months on its lees in larger-sized used oak barrels.
All of which explains the combination of succulence and racy refreshment in this 2020. Its color is a deep yellow-gold, with intense aromas of ripe stone and tropical fruits as well as hints of smoke. Notes of ripe yellow pear, poached quince, citrus, honeycomb, acacia flowers, and a little struck-match flintiness. It is medium-plus in body with a pleasing viscosity on the palate, and all that satisfying residual sweetness meets its match in a wave of acidity that cleanses the palate and readies you for the next sip. This is powerful and sneakily addicting wine that will disappear in an instant if you’re not careful, and it may go without saying that it will make a perfect foil for spicy dishes of the Thai, Vietnamese, or Chinese variety. Put Silex Noir to work for you! Its versatility and lusciousness is awfully tough to beat. Furthermore, it should age a surprisingly long time—15+ years is not out of the question!
