Les Turitelles Altugnac Pinot Noir 2022 (France) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious Pinot Noir from the Upper Aude Valley in the Languedoc region. It is a brand-new arrival at the LCBO that landed on shelves across Ontario as part of the September 21st LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

Domaine Altugnac is the Languedoc wine estate of two winegrowing families - Collovray & Terrier. The estate of Altugnac is situated in Antugnac, on the edge of Languedoc, on the Pyrenean foothills, where the vines flirt with the scrubland and the woods, between sunny days and cool nights, and at the crossroads of the Atlantic and Mediterranean winds. Antugnac is a peaceful village that is dominated by an amphitheatre of mountains, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, and an invitation to imagine and create unique wines.

The Collovray & Terrier arrived in Antugnac in 1997 with a desire to explore new horizons and take on new challenges. Coming from Burgundy, the quality of the white wines in Languedoc appealed to them, especially those from high in the Aude Valley where mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted on limestone soils. Moreover, the harvest dates of these grapes were within a few days compared to those back home in Davayé (Burgundy), while the vegetative cycles were also very similar.

At the time, the domaine was owned by Mr. Ramirez, a founding member of the association of private cellars, and one of the first to imagine Chardonnay in the Aude Valley. Upon taking over the domaine in 1997, the Collovray & Terrier families undertook the colossal project to revitalize the 45 hectares of vineyards and rebuild the facilities.

Today, there are six members of the Collovray & Terrier families that work with a strong sense of cohesion within the family business, and with the support of a close-knit, loyal, and dedicated team. Their philosophy begins with strong roots in agriculture, where everything begins in the vines. It is widely known that working with the soil and respecting the vegetation are the prerequisites for a healthy, ripe, and good quality crop. While adapting to the year's weather conditions, the team at Altugnac has the know-how to evolve and experiment, in order to ensure that each variety is harvested at the optimum moment. The goal is to reveal the diversity of their terroirs, while also protecting and developing the biodiversity in and around the vineyards.

Collovray & Terrier has three ranges of wines within the Altugnac label. The excellent 2021 Altugnac Terres Amoureuses that I enjoyed last year (with a few bottles still available at LCBO) is from their Les Terroirs d'Altitude range, while this red wine is from their Les Turitelles d'Altugnac range. Turitelles are marine fossils that are found in abundance in their plots situated on the slopes of the Upper Aude Valley. This area experiences significant diurnal temperature variations between night and day, and when combined with clay-limestone soils, helps promote slow and complete maturation of the grapes to produce are range of aromatic and fresh wines.

This red wine is crafted with 100% Pinot Noir that was grown in their vineyard that is full of Turitelles fossils on the slopes of the Upper Aude Valley. These fossils are the origin of their soil and are carried by a limestone and clay base, which form the sloping plateaus in the landscape. This terroir in the foothills of the Pyrenees is known for the quality of its hillsides and its sunny and cool microclimate. To vinify this wine, the harvested grapes were placed into vats by gravity. They underwent a few days of cold, prefectural maceration, along with daily, gentle pickling and winding, to extract a beautiful aromatic palette and silky tannins. Two weeks after a controlled-temperature alcoholic fermentation, below 25°C, the juices are tasted, followed by malolactic fermentation and ageing in stainless steel or concrete tanks for several months, with bottling taking place within a year from harvest. From harvest to bottling, inputs are limited as much as possible, including the reduction of sulphites.

From a hot and dry growing season that is rated as a very good vintage, let's see how this 2022 Pinot Noir from Languedoc is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LES TURITELLES ALTUGNAC PINOT NOIR 2022 - IGP Pays d'Oc, France (#37921) (XD) - $19.95
The ripe, medium+ intensity nose offers mild mannered, yet typical, Pinot characters of red & black cherry, and strawberry aromas with touches of beet root, earth, and black tea. The ripe notes continue on the light-to-mid-weighted palate with red & black cherry, strawberry, beet root, earth, and black tea leaf flavour replays. It has fresh, succulent acidity, while the light, supple tannins have a gentle, chalky textured mouthfeel. A touch grippy, with dark berry, earthy, and hints of mineral linger on the finish, with very good length. Recommended buy. Score: 88+ pts

Small quantities of the Amoureuses, while the entire portfolio of wines by Collovray et Terrier can be ordered through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.