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Le Sot de l'Ange

Pinot Noir 2016

Price: $26.95
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Tasting notes

Loire Pinot Noir grown in clay-silex soils has a mineral tension and red-fruit precision that Burgundy at this price rarely matches. Zero added sulfur and ten days of traditional maceration give this wine genuine depth without weight. It drinks well slightly cool, around 58F.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Taste profile
CherryRaspberryEarthRedcurrant
  • Style: Dry, light-bodied red; pale ruby; red fruit and mineral; zero added SO2; 12% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Pinot Noir; estate-grown; clay over silica with silex stones; Tuffeau limestone bedrock; Azay-le-Rideau, Touraine
  • Winemaking: 10-day traditional maceration; indigenous yeasts; élevage in tronconic vats; zero sulfur added; unfined, unfiltered
  • Serving: Serve at 58-62F; can be enjoyed without decanting or with a brief 20-minute rest
  • Pairing: Duck rillettes, grilled salmon, Loire goat cheese, charcuterie, mushroom dishes
  • Similar To: For fans of light-bodied natural Pinot Noir who want Loire mineral tension over Burgundian weight

Quentin and Angélique Bourse produce this Pinot Noir from their estate in Azay-le-Rideau, a village in the Touraine sub-region of the Loire Valley. The vines grow in clay over silica soils with exposed silex stones, over a Tuffeau limestone bedrock that regulates water and mineral supply. The estate is certified biodynamic under Demeter and AB France, with copper sulfur use limited to 500 grams per year.

The wine is made entirely without added sulfur. After hand-harvesting in multiple passes and four rounds of sorting, the grapes undergo a ten-day maceration without carbonic technique, followed by élevage in tronconic vats. Indigenous yeasts are used throughout fermentation. The result is a Vin de France-labeled Pinot Noir that carries the cool-climate mineral character of the Loire rather than the richness of Burgundy.

In the glass, the wine shows a pale ruby with bright red fruit, earthy undertones, and a lively, food-friendly acidity. Tannins are fine-grained and supple. At 12% ABV, it is light on its feet and easy to drink young, though the clay-silex terroir adds enough structure for a few years of cellaring.

Works well with dishes that have enough acidity or fat to meet the wine's liveliness: duck rillettes, grilled salmon with herbs, or a charcuterie board. Loire goat cheeses like Selles-sur-Cher are a natural match. Serve slightly cool at 58-62F.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Pinot Noir
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2016
Alcohol:, 12%
Country:, France
Region:, Loire Valley
Appellation:, Vin de France
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

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If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


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Heat/Frost damage

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Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

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Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Le Sot de l'Ange

Angélique and Quentin Bourse founded Le Sot de l'Ange in 2013 when Quentin took over a friend's estate in Azay-le-Rideau, Touraine. Before starting his own domaine, Quentin completed internships with both natural and conventional producers in the Loire Valley, including a six-month stage at Domaine Huet in Vouvray. The estate currently covers approximately 12 to 15 hectares across multiple parcels in the Ridellois terroir.

The estate is certified biodynamic under Demeter and AB France, and organic under Ecocert FR-BIO-01. The certification is rare for the Azay-le-Rideau area. Quentin limits copper sulfur applications to 500 grams per year, roughly 75% less than the regional norm. All vineyard work is done by hand. Harvest is conducted in multiple passes with around 25 helpers, selecting grapes berry by berry for peak maturity. The soils across the estate are primarily clay over silica, with white silex stones visible throughout many parcels.

In the cellar, all grapes are sorted four times before fermentation with indigenous yeasts. For the reds, zero SO2 is added at any point in the winemaking process. The Pinot Noir undergoes ten days of traditional maceration, not carbonic, before élevage in tronconic vats. Pressing is slow and gentle. The domaine produces wines under AOC Touraine Azay-le-Rideau, the broader Touraine appellation, and Vin de France, with an annual production of approximately 6,500 cases across all cuvées.

Wine region

Loire Valley, France

The Loire Valley stretches roughly 1,000 kilometers across north-central France, following the Loire River from the Atlantic coast to the Massif Central. Touraine sits in the middle section of the valley, centered around the city of Tours. The region's climate is primarily oceanic, with annual rainfall around 550-600mm and warm, bright summers that allow for reliable ripening. The confluence of the Loire and Indre rivers around Azay-le-Rideau creates a microclimate with mild winters and extended growing seasons.

The soils of the Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau area rest on Tuffeau limestone bedrock formed approximately 90 million years ago. Over this base, three main soil types exist: perruches (clay and siliceous conglomerates), aubuis (warm, permeable clay-limestone), and aeolian sands with varying clay content. In many parcels, white silex stones surface throughout the rows. The AOC Touraine Azay-le-Rideau is formally designated for white wines from Chenin Blanc and rosés from Grolleau. Red wines from the village, including Pinot Noir, are typically labeled Vin de France or Touraine. Nearby appellations within Touraine include Chinon and Bourgueil for Cabernet Franc, and Vouvray and Montlouis for Chenin Blanc.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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