Cantillon Lambic d'Aunis

Description

Lambic d'Aunis (previously labeled as Pineau d'Aunis and Pinot d'Aunis) was originally a test batch using Pineau D'Aunis grapes provided by Olivier Lemasson at Les Vins Contés. This beer is very similar to what was later brewed and released as Zwanze 2011, however that beer also had Brambling Cross hops added. Pineau d’Aunis grapes are a minor grape from the Loire region of France. This is the same region as the Menu Pineau grape. Pineau d'Aunis grapes are known produce a light and pale wine with earthy, herbal, and distinctly spicy notes.

In early 2016 a new version of this beer appeared with a newly printed label as Lambic d'Aunis.

History / Other Notes

Pinot d'Aunis debuted at the Lambic Summit in 2010. At the summit, Jean Van Roy described this beer as follows [sic]:

And this beer here, is a druivenlambic, so it’s a grape lambic. It’s not a Vigneronne, it’s not a Saint Lamvinus. There exists a lot of different types of grapes. And with, at the brewery Cantillon, very good contact with a lot of wineries. Lambic is a very special beer. Lambic is a beer because made with cereals, but lambic is also close to the wine world. With a lot of good friends in France and Italy. And one of them asked if it is possible to make a experiment. Oliver Lemasson is a winemaker in the Loire valley in France. It’s a producer of natural wines, so we have exactly the same philosophy then us at the brewery Cantillon. And Oliver tried to save a very old type of grapes. Grapes who have disappeared a bit, a bit like Lambic. And we made this experiment with Pinot d’Aunis. So it’s the name of the ... types of grapes. It’s a very special grape, used only to blend; wines made with Pinot d’Aunis don’t exist or are very rare. And it’s a grape who gives some spicy notes, some pepper notes. ^[1]

Jean Van Roy mistakenly named this beer Pinot d'Aunis, where it should have been Pineau d'Aunis as the grape is actually named. Upon realizing the error, he chose not to correct it.