Domaine Fournier Les Belles Vignes Sancerre Rose 2017

Ideally drink now through to 2022

A beautiful salmon pink colour, this elegant rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir producing a nose that bursts with ripe cherries, strawberry and a hint of toast. On the palate, the freshness and bright acidity come through with ripe citrus, red currant and a hint of herbs. It has a full mouth feel and a fairly long finish with a buttery note to end with.

This is a great summer wine but has a strength that could easily make it an option on cooler winter nights too. Fantastic on it’s own but even better with fish, white meat, chicken, salad and Asian dishes.

Only premium grapes were selected for the making of this Les Belles Vignes Rosé. To obtain the color, the fruit is macerated between 12 and 20 hours with the skins on, before pneumatic pressing. The grapes are then fermented in stainless steel tanks for 3 weeks in an electronic thermo-regulated environment of 16°-20°C. Malolactic fermentation is not used, as the wine is set out for maturation on fine lees. In addition to the estate in Sancerre, the Fournier family owns vineyards in Pouilly-Fumé and Menetou Salon. The vineyard plots in Sancerre are in the three villages of Verdigny, Bue and Maimbray.

Domaine Fournier is classed as a very important vineyard in Sancerre. They have 222 acres of vines that include sites in Maimbray, Verdigny and Bue which are the very best sites in Sancerre. The vineyards are organic and the modern, high tech winery minimises handling of the grapes. Yields are small, hand harvested and carefully sorted to ensure the very best grapes are selected. The juice is released via the natural process of gravity and very careful thermo-regulation is used during the vinification process. This enables Domaine Fournier to consistently produce the highest quality wines that have both finesse and elegance on every level.