Emmanuel Haget Pineau d'Aunis Palabres 2024

Profile & Story

Emmanuel Haget, a former geophysical engineer, took over part of the vines and cellar of biodynamic pioneer Philippe Gourdon in Le Puy-Notre-Dame (Saumur, Loire Valley) in 2016. He farms roughly four hectares across five parcels planted to Chenin, Pineau d'Aunis and Cabernet Franc, maintaining biodynamic practices. Palabres, his debut bottling of Pineau d'Aunis -- one of the Loire's rarest and historically royal grapes, also known as Chenin Noir -- comes from a single 0.8-hectare parcel, Clos St Jacques, entirely replanted in 2012. The grapes undergo an eight-day skin maceration before pressing, with fermentation completed in tank over seven to eight months; the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal added sulfur (under 15mg/L total).