2022 Roc Breia Vin de France - Pinot Noir

92 WA

Notes:

Theo Dancer's 2022 Pinot Noir is rather deep and muscular this year, opening in the glass with aromas of plumy fruit and sweet spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and primary palate framed by sweet, powdery tannins. It's matured in used 500-liter barrels. William Kelley 92

Producer: Roc Breïa is a project in the Mâconnais led by Théo Dancer, who also directs his family’s domaine in Chassagne-Montrachet. Dancer took responsibility for the family domaine beginning with the 2020 vintage and became involved with Roc Breïa in 2021. The project centers on roughly 10 hectares in a single contiguous block near the hamlet of Bray, a notably different situation from the highly fragmented vineyard holdings common farther north in Burgundy. Before Dancer became involved, the property’s grapes had historically been sold to négociants. He agreed to oversee the project on the condition that he have control from the vineyard through winemaking and allocation. Roc Breïa produces a very small range, centered on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the wines are bottled as Vin de France.
Vineyard: The Roc Breïa property is located in the Mâconnais in southern Burgundy. Its approximately 10 hectares form a single block, giving Dancer the ability to approach farming across the property as a whole. William Kelley reports that Dancer began working to restore balance to soils that had previously been farmed conventionally, introducing cover crops and manual cultivation beneath the rows, with organic farming and agroforestry forming part of the longer-term direction for the site. Sources report that the Pinot Noir includes older vines planted during the 1970s and 1980s. This vineyard project is central to Roc Breïa: unlike Dancer’s négociant wines sourced from different parts of France, Roc Breïa gives him direct responsibility for farming one specific property from year to year.
Winemaking: The 2022 is 100% Pinot Noir. Dancer’s approach to the red is deliberately straightforward and low-intervention. Wine Advocate reports very gentle macerations with a proportion of whole bunches, followed by maturation in used 500-liter barrels. Dancer then conducts a rigorous barrel selection, removing any lots he does not consider suitable for the final blend. This use of previously filled larger-format barrels limits the influence of new oak and keeps the focus on the fruit and structure of the Pinot Noir. Other sources describing the project note minimal use of additives, with a small amount of sulfur added at bottling.
Technical Details: 2022 vintage; 100% Pinot Noir; Vin de France; Burgundy, France; 750ml; 13% alcohol. The wine is matured in used 500-liter barrels and bottled under the broader Vin de France designation rather than a regional Burgundy appellation. Berry Bros. & Rudd and the current Vins Rare listing both report 13% alcohol for the 2022. Wine Advocate describes this vintage as deeper and more muscular in profile, with plum fruit and sweet spice, followed by a medium- to full-bodied palate and fine, powdery tannins.
Food Pairing: Pinot Noir’s combination of fruit, acidity and moderate tannin makes this well suited to roast chicken, duck, pork tenderloin, veal and mushroom-based dishes. The additional depth noted in the 2022 also makes it suitable for richer preparations such as duck breast, roast pork with herbs or beef served without a heavily sweet sauce.