Michel Redde et Fils Barre A Mine Blanc Pouilly-Fume AOC 2020

"Barre A Mine" Blanc is a dry white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The vineyard is located in the commune of Tracy-Sur-Loire. In 2009, it was literally broken on the site of a former silicon quarry. The rock boulders were destroyed through blasting operations. Typically, a pickaxe is used for soil preparation, but in the case of this complex site, workers had to use a crowbar (translated into French as "barre a mine"). Thus, the wine got its name, and the label features a characteristic image of a worker with a crowbar in hand. To create "Barre A Mine" Blanc, the harvest is hand-picked into small boxes with a capacity of 10-12 kg. After selection and sorting, the grapes undergo gentle pressing, and the resulting must undergoes alcoholic fermentation at controlled temperatures in oak barrels and French barriques. The wine is aged on fine lees in oak barrels for 16-18 months. After filtration and clarification with bentonite, the wine is bottled. Decanting is recommended before serving. The 2020 vintage was very favorable for the Loire Valley, despite the epidemiological chaos due to the coronavirus outbreak. The growing season was relatively short, and the grapes quickly reached phenolic ripeness. Some varieties began to be harvested as early as mid-August. The white wines of this season are described as fruity and fresh, while the Sauvignon Blanc wines are remembered for their tropical notes.