In the glass
Aroma: ripe peach, vanilla, honeysuckle, spice
Palate: yellow apple, lemon curd, toast, creamy lees
Pinard's barrel-fermented old-vine selection. Ripe peach and honeysuckle over a creamy, vanilla-toned palate that still retains Sancerre's chalky drive.
What it pairs with
-
Sole bonne femme
Mushroom and shallot cream sauce meets barrel weight; lemon-curd register handles butter. -
Veal Vienna schnitzel
Crisp breadcrumb crust and barrel-aged Sancerre is a textured pairing; lemon-curd echoes the wedge. -
Truffled risotto
Vanilla-toast register meets earthy truffle; lees creaminess matches risotto texture. -
Aged Comté
Hazelnut crystallisation in 30+ month Comté finds the wine's toast and creamy lees.
History
Harmonie is Pinard's barrel-aged selection of old vines and an early Sancerre made entirely in new oak. The cuvée is the richer, oak-driven style in Pinard's range.
- 1990 — First vintage of Harmonie bottled in new oak
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine Vincent Pinard
- Grapes
- Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
- Classification
- Sancerre AOC
- Oak
- Fermented and aged in new oak barrels, around 12 months on fine lees
- ABV
- 13.5%
- Price
- EUR 40 to 65 at retail
- Drinking window
- 3-15 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1990
- Biodynamic
- Biodynamic Practicing
- Organic
- ECOCERT
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Scores
- Decanter 93 (2021 vintage, reviewed 2023)
Frequently asked about Sancerre Harmonie
What does Pinard Harmonie taste like?
Ripe peach, vanilla, honeysuckle and spice on the nose; yellow apple, lemon curd, toast and creamy lees on the palate. Full-bodied with high acidity and a long, creamy finish.
When should I drink Pinard Harmonie?
Drink between 3 and 15 years from vintage. The new oak integrates with 3 to 5 years in bottle; mature bottles benefit from a 30 minute decant.
How is Harmonie aged?
Fermented and aged in new oak barrels for around 12 months on fine lees. The cuvée selects Pinard's oldest vines for the new-oak treatment.
Is Pinard Harmonie vegan?
Yes. The estate is biodynamic and uses no animal-derived fining agents.