Domaine Les Poëte ‘Odyssée’ Reuilly Rouge 2019

Vinification

Young vine Pinot Noir from 6 different plots on limestone-clay and loam-clay soils. Biodynamically farmed grapes, hand-harvested, sorted, and partially (50%) destemmed. No pre-fermentation maceration, vinification in separate plots in small tanks and barrels, 10 days maceration. Elevage 12-18 months, blending of the parcels, and sulfating before bottling.

Domaine Les Poëte

Guillaume Sorbe comes from a family of winegrowers but initially had his own mindset on gastronomy. So much so actually, that when it the time came to retire, his father was forced to sell the entire family domain save for a small patch of old vines. A winemaker’s spirit did burn quietly in Guillaume’s heart, however, and after having turned his career as a cook into one as a sommelier, he took the extra step of signing up for Beaune school of viticulture and oenology.

After graduating he was finally ready to become a grower in 2007, initially with only a small bit of Reuilly-terroir but gradually building a collection of plots in Reuilly (Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir), Quincy (Sauvignon), and Touraine (Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec). Over the years he successfully converted these vineyards to biodynamic farming, with an ethos aimed at biodiversity and low yields.

His outside work is characterized by meticulous tending of the vines, very limited plowing, and maintaining a host of flora and fauna (wildflowers, herbs, bees, sheep, etc) in and around the vineyards. The cellar sees the same attention to detail, with all plots fermented separately in tiny tanks and barrels so as to be perfectly tailored to the needs of each terroir.

As of 2020 Sorbe starry-eyed ambitions and solitary hard work are finally starting to pay off, with France’s leading wine press like La Revue du Vin de France and Bettane + Dessauve showering Domaine Les Poëte with praise and international interest growing accordingly.