By now, it’s clear that 2014 was one of the best vintages for the Loire of the past decade.

The wines achieved a gorgeous combination of balance, length and crystal-clear acidity.

It was in 2014 that François Pinon debuted the Déronnières bottling. Simply put, it's a brilliant bottle.

The 2014 Déronnières is without a doubt the best value that we've found for Chenin in a very long-time.

It feels wrong to push the value angle too hard, because this is a wine that really stands on its own. Still, it's rare for a bottle to hit this level and have so much promise to age beautifully for over a decade and clock in under the $25 mark.

For long-time fans of the Loire, François Pinon is one of the beloved names. He makes beautiful, classic and soulful expressions of Vouvray. While so much of the excitement about Loire Chenin is over a younger generation of growers outside of Vouvray (Collier, Guiberteau, etc.), you'd be hard pressed to find a more rock solid and consistent grower than Pinon.

Les Déronnières is a limestone-rich parcel that had been blended into their Silex Noir bottling. Since there wasn't a large Silex influence in the Déronnières parcel, Pinon decided to bottle it on its own in 2014.

The result is one of the most stunning wines that we've tasted from Pinon in a very long time. It has a dazzling elegance with a densely packed, complex and well-delineated minerality. There's thrilling poise and balance. The demi-sec style seems perfectly judged.

This is a bottle that immediately impressed me. When I sat down with a bottle last week, I was blown away. The 2014 Déronnières is showing really well now, so we strongly suggest that you check it out. We also advise you to put a couple of bottles away. Everything is in place for it to evolve gorgeously.

To order, reply to this email or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone

Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits

2014 François Pinon Vouvray Les Déronnières