My fellow Thoreauvians,
The pretty village of Irancy is located in the Departement of Yonne, whose most famous sub-region is, of course, Chablis. South and west of Chablis, Irancy is mostly planted to Pinot Noir. One could--and I will--say that Irancy is the red wine of Chablis. Like its much more famous relative, Irancy wines are defined by racy, bracing, refreshing acidity and an undercurrent of saline minerality. But of course these are red wines. Pinot Noir expresses itself in an elegant, vivacious
manner which grows on you with repeated tasting. In ripe vintages, a well-made Irancy can deliver a lacy, balletic charm that is all but irresistible.
All of this is prelude to my recommending a superb Irancy I tasted recently at a trade tasting. The growers in question have a considerable reputation in France. Their names are Jean-Pierre and
Anita Colinot. Their daughter Stephanie is playing an increasingly important role in running the 30-acre estate, which produces a respectable 5,000 cases of Irancy each year. The Colinots make Irancy from five different crus; they also make a wonderful old-vines blend from their holdings, which is the wine I tasted and am recommending to you. The vintage is 2006, which was an excellent year in the Chablis region. There is a touch of warmth from the heat that developed around picking time in 2006, which is most welcome. The Colinots always include a small amount of a local grape called Cesar, which adds a soupcon of rusticity and spice to their wines.
I found myself returning to the wine for repeated tastings. A wine that beckons you back is a wine worth owning! It is difficult to compare an Irancy to any other Pinot Noir- based wine. One could
perhaps say Sancerre rouge, which is not so very far away from Irancy, after all. But there is more going on in a good Irancy than in most Sancerre rouges.
The acidity is high enough to enable you to serve the wine a touch chilled with salmon or a tomato-based fish stew. Chicken, pork, white-meat sausages are perfect food choices. Goat cheeses and hard-ripened mountain cheeses will be beautifully matched by the wine. Neither cheap nor expensive, this Irancy is a worthy addition to your cellar.
Bob Millman
2006 Irancy Vieilles Vignes $33.85
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