PineauDesCharentesChateaudOrignac

<p>Reynac Pineau Des Charentes.Legend has it that Pineau des Charentes is certainly the offspring of vine, but that its actual birth was purely fortuitous.Henri IV was created King of France in 1589; that very year during the harvest in Charente, a vine grower accidentally put grape must in a barrel containing the precious Cognac eau-de-vie, then laid the barrel in his Lord’s cellars.A few years later, the harvest was so bountiful that every available barrel was needed, including the – by then – forgotten one. The vine grower had a wonderful surprise and discovered a clear beverage, as sunny as the Charente land he tended.The REYNAC brand was launched in 1969 and was soon to become one of the major actors in supporting the identity of Pineau des Charentes in its own right. At the time in fact, REYNAC was the brand that made the product known to a wide panel of consumers when previously, only the locals and the tourists who visited the Charentes region knew about it. The REYNAC denomination itself was created to reflect the ‘AC ’ ending of extremely common regional place names (Cognac, Jarnac, Mérignac, etc.). ‘ac’ stands for ‘the property’, the ‘fief’ and is of Celtic origin, bearing witness as to one of the many human groups who have populated the area throughout history. ‘Rey ’ is another spelling for ‘Roi’, the French word for ‘King’, and was used to confer noble glamour to the product. In short, the name of REYNAC could be translated as ‘The King’s Fief ’.Because it has been unceasingly well-positioned on the French market, REYNAC always was the leader of Pineau brands.Pineau Des Charentes, Chateau d’Orignac,Charente Maritime, France60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon inFrench oak for minimum 5 yearsChâteau d’Orignac Pineau is made in the time honoured way, by carefully blending aged eau-de-vie and unfermented grape juice that comes from selected Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, picked when perfectly ripe. After blending, it is aged for a minimum of 5 years in oak casks, made by top coopers based in central France. Only after this extensive maturation period does Château d’Orignac Pineau take on its full depth of flavour and balance.Rich amber colour shot through with gold tints. Very intense, complex nose of apricots, honeyand raisins. Full and rich on the palate, with grape and Cognac flavours. At once intense and elegant. A remarkable and inimitable example of top quality Pineau des Charentes, justly deserving of its reputation. Should be served well chilled.A classic apéritif but also delicious with savoury dishes, desserts and cheese, such as Roquefort and mature Dutch Gouda .Pineau Des Charentes, Chateau d’Orignac, Charente Maritime, France</p>