The colour is (very) pale ruby. On the nose at first mainly acetone, which with some air fades, but doesn’t disappear (unfortunately). In the mouth acidic. The aftertaste doesn’t last long (fortunately).
This Pinot Noir is made by Pascal Henriot under the IGP Franche-Comté denomination of France. A wide denomination that covers red, white and rosé wines, both still and sparkling, from a large, mountainous area of eastern France. The region is located on the border of Switzerland. The wine region of Alsace is to the north, while the vineyards of Savoie occupy the Alps to the south. Burgundy lies to the west.
The wine region is made up of the Haute-Saône, Doubs, Territoire de Belfort departments, and the majority of Jura.
Historically, the Haute-Saône was a significant wine-producing region. Within this region, the tiny commune of Champlitte was considered one of the highest quality areas. Unfortunately, during the late 1800’s, the phylloxera crisis decimated nearly all of its vineyards. The first World War wiped out what little remained. The first vineyards began to be replanted in Champlitte in 1970, and the local coop was officially established in 1974.
Pascal Henriot is an independent producer. From the start, he has always worked organically (now certified). In the cellar, Pascal takes a natural approach, using only native yeast for fermentations and adding only a minimal amount of sulphur, and in some cases no sulphur at all.
I stopped at the winery for a short tasting while walking along the Via Francigena. I liked none of the wines I tasted, but since the bottles had been open for too long, I decided to give a second chance to this Pinot Noir. This bottle seems even worse than the one that has been open for a few days.
To be fair, it needs to be mentioned that 2021 was a very difficult year for Champlitte wine producers. Seems also like that in the region the whites tend to be better than the reds.
For this bottle I paid 8 EUR at the winery. Searching the Internet, I noticed that in the US this wine sells for some 25 USD. Must be the effect of the natural wines fad.
Country: France
Region: Franche-Comté
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Type: Red
Vintage: 2021
Producer: Pascal Henriot
Price range: Economic (<15 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 1/5