La Coterie Pinot Noir 2025

La Coterie is made for Maison Darcelier by Le Cellier du Pic, a cooperative in the village of Assas, some 20 kilometres north of Montpellier. It began in 1939 as the Cave Coopérative d'Assas, and today around 70 member growers farm the slopes between the Pic Saint-Loup and Grès de Montpellier appellations. The cooperative has held HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) certification since 2017. The house aim is signature wines that reflect their terroir and the true character of each grape, and this Grande Réserve Pinot Noir shows the variety's softer, sunnier side, grown on calcareous clay soils with a heavy load of gravel.

Harvested on 23 August 2025. Fermented for 10 days at 20 to 26°C in temperature-controlled concrete tanks, with a short maceration for gentle tannin extraction. Aged for 6 months in concrete tanks, then bottled in early 2026.

A beautiful ruby colour. Macerated red fruit, kirsch and a gentle touch of spice on the nose. The palate is round, smooth and gourmand, with a supple texture and a generous, fruit-led finish. An easy, crowd-pleasing Pinot Noir with plenty of southern warmth.

Grilled Meats, Duck, Cherry Clafoutis

The Languedoc stretches along France's Mediterranean coast, and Assas sits in the garrigue just north of Montpellier, overlooked by the limestone peak of the Pic Saint-Loup. Vineyards here lie between pine forest and scrubland, on free-draining clay-limestone and gravel. The climate is Mediterranean, warm and dry, giving ripe, generous wines, with the sea never far away.