Fosse-Sèche : Gondwana 2022

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Gondwana 2022 from Fosse-Sèche

Tasting notes

Colour
The wine shows a deep ruby-red colour, enhanced by delicate violet highlights.

Nose
The nose reveals beautiful aromatic complexity, dominated by black fruit aromas such as blackcurrant, blackberry and black cherry, lifted by notes of fresh red fruit. It then opens onto floral touches of violet and peony, before unveiling a highly distinctive minerality reminiscent of graphite, pencil lead and slate, complemented by subtle hints of liquorice.

Palate
The attack is fresh and vibrant. The palate captivates with its silky, elegant texture, supported by ripe, fine yet structuring tannins. The brilliance of the fruit and the mineral precision perceived on the nose are echoed here, all perfectly balanced by a lovely acidity that stretches the wine towards a finish of remarkable length.

Food and wine pairing

This red wine pairs wonderfully with grilled or roasted red meats, particularly cuts of beef, as well as with game such as wild boar or duck. It will also enhance richly flavoured slow-cooked dishes and roasted autumn vegetables, such as butternut squash and mushrooms.

Serving and cellaring

To fully enjoy Gondwana 2022, we recommend serving it at a temperature between 13 and 17°C, depending on whether you are looking for the brilliance of the fruit in its youth or the complexity of its maturity. Made for long ageing, this wine can be enjoyed from 2026 and will continue to improve until around 2040.

The Pure, Mineral Expression of a Cabernet Franc from Vin de France

The estate

Fosse-Sèche was founded between the years 800 and 1000 by Benedictine monks. The Pire family has been at the helm of the estate since 1998. Today, brothers Guillaume and Adrien Pire run the vineyard with a deeply ecological philosophy. Of the 45 hectares, 30 are entirely dedicated to preserving biodiversity, illustrating their commitment to biodynamic viticulture in perfect harmony with nature.

The vineyard

Classified as Vin de France, the vineyard extends across the Brossay plateau. Unlike the surrounding limestone soils, the vines thrive on a Jurassic terroir made up of flint and iron oxide, completely devoid of free limestone. This configuration, combined with a convex exposure that provides excellent ventilation, encourages deep rooting. Cultivated biodynamically without any synthetic chemical inputs, the vines produce very low yields. The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand to ensure a rigorous selection of berries at optimal ripeness.

Vinification and ageing

The estate's philosophy favours minimal intervention in order to preserve the authenticity of the terroir. For Gondwana 2022, fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, followed by a short maceration of less than ten days. The wine is then aged for 12 to 14 months on its full lees, without any racking. Notably, the estate rejects the use of oak: the wine rests exclusively in ovoid clay-concrete tanks, a shape and material that promote natural micro-oxygenation while preserving the aromatic purity of the fruit.

Grape variety

100% Cabernet Franc.