Pithon-Paille Grololo White (NV)

Jo Pithon is a star of the Loire.To launch a domaine in 1978 guided entirely by low interventionist principals and focusing exclusively on organics and biodynamics in the vineyard and cellars was virtually unheard of in the area. For forty years now he’s been championing dry white wines in the Côteaux-du-Layon, a place where dessert wines were hitherto the be-all-end-all. He was not only the first in the area to champion living soils but also the first to create hyper-terroir wines from individual parcels after the Burgundian fashion.

The white Grololo is a fascinating cuvée for Loire lovers. It plays host to the holy trinity of Loire white varieties! This bottle contains Melon de Bourgogne from Muscadet, Chenin Blanc from Anjou, and Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine, a right to left reading of the river’s finest whites. All the components are farmed biodynamically to show a clear window into their place, each one being vinified seperately and rested in oak vats for a year before blending right before bottling. The result is a golden hued wine showing the charming aromatics of Sauvignon, the body and greenery of Melon de Bourgogne, and the tension and power of Chenin.