Vouvray "Les Déronnières"

Pinon, Domaine François et Julien
France
Loire
2022

100% Chenin Blanc. "Deronnières" is one of Pinon's two usual sec bottlings and is also a terroir-focused bottling, featuring the most limestone-forward of their parcels. The vines are on an exposed hilltop rich in tuffeau, the soft, chalky limestone particular to Vouvray and are the first to ripen of Pinon's vineyards. Vine age averages 45 years and the farming has been certified organic since 2007.  Deronnières is madde identically to its demi-sec, terroir-targeted counterparts, "Silex Noir" and "Trois Argiles". The bunches are harvested by hand, rigorously sorted and directly pressed. The juice flows by gravity into underground tanks for a spontaneous native-yeast fermentation that lasts 2-3 months and stops naturally in Pinon's cold cellar. The wine is aged on its fine lees for 4-5 months in a variety of old oak, ranging from 500-liter demi-muids to 20-hectoliter foudres. The 2022 finished with just 1 gram RS (and 4.5 grams acidity). 

93 points
"The 2022 Les Déronnières Sec is the domaine's limestone-derived dry Chenin that sits almost above the cellars on the appellation's premiere cotes. Julien Pinon calls it a parcel for lazy people (!) as it's easier to maintain than clay parcels, leading to better drainage, fewer frosts and requiring less work while making smaller bunches with smaller berries. It may offer tenderness initially but remains a fresh, well-defined style. There is plenty of concentration here, and the balance is impeccable. In addition to attractive apple fruit, it has spiced pastry flavors."
Rebecca Gibb,
Vinous Media
October 2023
94 points
"94 points - 2022 Vouvray “Les Deronnières” Sec The 2022 Vouvray “Les Derronières” Sec from Julien Pinon is an outstanding young wine. The vineyard of Les Deronnières is also a silex noir terroir. The 2022 version comes in at 12.5 percent octane and delivers a superb youthful bouquet of sweet quince, lemon, a touch of grapefruit, flinty minerality, dried flowers, lemon peel, a touch of honeycomb and a topnote of paraffin. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and zesty, with a fine core of fruit, lovely mineral undertow, a fine spine of acidity and a long, complex and quite elegant finish. This is going to be an outstanding bottle of Vouvray Sec. It is still quite adolescent in its development and deserves some extended cellaring to allow its secondary layers of complexity to properly emerge. Fine, fine juice. 2030-2080. "
John Gilman,
View From The Cellar
July 2024

SKU/Code: 
DB8902-22
Product Line: 
Wine
White
Varietal: 
Chenin Blanc
Farming Type: 
Organic