COUNTRY :
Canada
REGION :
Québec
PRODUCTION :
Frédéric Simon
Pioneering a bright-eyed wine crusade within the extreme terroir of Quebéc, Frédéric Simon and his wife Catherine Bélanger tend to their 1.50 hectare winery with resolute sincerity and an evolving sense of place.
Discovery drives the work that they do here, with relatively new plantings of vitis vinifera such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Dornfelder, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Savagnin (uncommon to the area due to arduous growing conditions). All vines are tended to organically, with minimal alterations in the cellar, leading Frédéric to a series of challenges to consider when combating the extreme cold of winter and inevitable frosts of spring.
While experimentation is well underway with the aforementioned varietals, production is quite limited and circulates mainly within the local market – championed by natural wine establishments such as Joe Beef and Catherine’s own Moleskine and Pullman Bar à Vin.
The first cuvées available to the United States include Frangine White & Frangin Red – macerated La Crescent for the white and an assemblage of Marquette and Frontenac Gris for the red – sourced from a rented vineyard in Lanoraie. Both adhere to the same strict standards of minimal intervention in the winery, with no additions of chemicals, yeasts, acid, or chaptalization.
Frédéric enlists renowned Canadian artist/novelist Marc Séguin to imagine custom labels for each of his wines. A painter himself, Frédéric has long collected Séguin’s pieces in his home – as far back to his days of co-owning restaurant Les Cons Servent and operating a wine importing business – before selling nearly everything he owned and working toward the vision and love affair that is Pinard et Filles.
Vin de Jardin
Region: Québec
Grape: Black Frontenac, Gray Frontenac, White Frontenac
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: whole bunches semi-carbonic maceration for white and gray Frontenac. Direct press for the Frontenac Noir
Aging: amphora
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low
Picniquette
Region: Québec
Grape: frontenac gris, la crescent, apple must
Vineyard Size:
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: Natural co-fermentation of Gray Frontenac and LaCrescent in stainless steel vats. Natural fermentation of apple juice in stainless steel vats, then blending of cider and wine just before the end of fermentation. Addition of raspberry honey from Miels d’Anicet in canning.
Aging: natural refermentation in cans
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low
“Novembre”
Region: Québec
Grape: Marquette, Frontenac Noir, Petite Perle
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: whole cluster, spontaneous fermentation of Marquette and Frontenac Noir with indigenous yeasts, direct press of Petite Perle
Aging: in stainless steel
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
“Momo Pinku”
Region: Québec
Grape: Gamay, Pinot Noir
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: 48 hour maceration, spontaneous fermentation in barriques with indigenous yeasts
Aging: 10 months in barriques, sur lie
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
Blanc de Noirs
Region: Québec
Grape: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: direct press, separate, spontaneous fermentation in barriques with indigenous yeasts
Aging: 12 months in barriques, sur lie
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
“`A Ciel Ouvert”
Region: Québec
Grape: Frontenac Blanc
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: direct press, spontaneous fermentation in barriques with indigenous yeasts, no ouillage
Aging: 12 months in barriques, sur lie
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: none
“Queer”
Region: Québec
Grape: Gamay, Pinot Noir
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in stainless steel
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low
“Brutal”
Region: Québec
Grape: Riesling, Chardonnay, Savagnin, Cabernet Franc, Gamay
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: direct press of Cabernet Franc and Gamay, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in stainless steel
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low
“Verre De Gris”
Region: Québec
Grape: Frontenac Gris
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in fiberglass with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in fiberglass
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low
“Autoportrait”
Region: Québec
Grape: Gamay
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in stainless steel
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low
“Pornfelder”
Region: Québec
Grape: Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, Pinot Meunier
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in fiberglass with indigenous yeasts
Aging: Pinot Noir in five year old barrels, Dornfelder in demijohns
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low
“En Équilibre”
Region: Québec
Grape: Pinot Noir
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in stainless steel
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low
“Wine Love Me”
Region: Québec
Grape: Chardonnay
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in stainless steel
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low
“Frangin”
Region: Québec
Grape: Marquette, Frontenac Gris
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: soft pigéage, 2 week maceration, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts
Aging: in barriques
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low
“Frangine”
Region: Québec
Grape: La Crescent
Vineyard Size: 2.20 hectares
Soil:
Average Age of Vines:
Farming: organic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: 3 month maceration, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts, gentle press
Aging: in barriques
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added S02: low