Cantillon Pinot D'Aunis - Brasserie Cantillon

Beerenauslese

California

4.47/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Russian River Brewing Company on International Zwanze Day. First enjoyed this from the bottle at Cantillon in March 2011.

Body is a hazy orange/pink/garnet. Seems a bit more hazy and subdued in color than when I had this. No head to speak of, just a ring of bubbles.

Smells of red wine grapes and the characteristic Cantillon funkiness and old wood. There is a bit of spice in the nose.

Tastes of light red wine, oak, a bit of tannin, and long spicy, dry finish. I get some light cinnamon spice. Somewhat tart, but not overly sour. I think this is tasting a bit drier now that it has aged another half year.

Body is light and carbonation is low, giving this a flattish mouthfeel. But there's a lot of action with the wine flavor, acidity, and long dry spicy finish to give this an interesting mouthfeel.

I thought this was delicious and worth going out of my way for. Now the only way to get this will be at Cantillon in bottles. Hope I get back to Cantillon soon enough to have some more. Thanks Jean.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2011 01:55:36 | More by Beerenauslese

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On draft at Churchkey for Zwanze Day. A huge thank you to drabmuh and Thorpe429 for making sure I got to sample this.

The beer is a beautiful shade of pinkish purple, with virtually no head or lacing. The aroma is funky, with a lot of musty grapes. I'm also getting some berries, particularly blackberries. The flavor is good, but not great, at least as far as Cantillon goes. Quite musty, with a slight tannic note. The body is pretty thin, with low carbonation. Overall, I am thrilled to try this. Another great beer from my favorite brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2011 01:24:01 | More by Huhzubendah

ahalloin

Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had a few 6 oz. pours at Churchkey in DC today.

Pours a dark pink (raspberry crayon) color with a full white cap of foam. Very opaque and cloudy. Beautifully vibrant and unusual color.
Smells of musty, barnyard funk with a strong acetic note. A slight fruity background persists and gives relief from just straight sour notes. Grape skin comes to mind.

The flavor is powerfully sour and tart. Grape fruitiness lingers slightly in the back with a major display of funk in the foreground. In addition to the fruitiness, I get a quality similar to what a vine-ripened tomato would give with a slightly sour twinge. Incredibly drying finish.

The Mouthfeel is spectacular with a puckering quality from the sour notes, yet super drying in the finish. Makes my saliva ducts go nuts every time I take a drink. Medium carbed and smooth.

Overall an awesome fruit lambic with plenty of complexity and very satisfying.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2011 01:20:22 | More by ahalloin

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap at monks in philly during Zwanze Day 2011

Pours a hazed cherry red with some burnt orange tones. Light beige head fades out leaving some wispy film behind.

Tart and funky in the nose with peppery spice. Red wine and red grape skin with slight acidity. Soft fruitiness with a light touch of oak as well.

Sour up front driven by red wine and grape skin character. Hints of oak and tannin with merlot. Touches of a funky cheese and yeast. Decent amount of acidity and tartness, definitely reliant on the red wine notes. Long, lingering finish with tart dark fruit.

Medium body, nice carbonation, dry and lingering on the tongue in a pleasing manner. Really impressive offering, I enjoyed the wine characteristics, although I probably prefer St. Lamvinous with some age on it to this.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2011 00:55:02 | More by xnicknj

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Monk's during Zwanze day. Lucky to get four pours ... its good to stick around after the tickers leave!

Initial impression is that this doesn't have the same pop that Pinot D'Aunis did out of the bottle when I had it last year. In particular, the nose is much more restrained and muted in this offering.

A: Reddish-orange-pink body. Initial pour had a smaller pinkish head--presumably due to being poured from a pitcher. Later pours had a more substantial head that left a fine film like lacing.

S: Soft vinous notes, oak, slight must and lemon-citric notes. Not getting the fruitier-strawberry notes that were plentiful in the first batch.

T: Ripe red-wine grapes. Lemon, funk, some mineral notes, oak and tannins. Still missing the fruitier notes, but more assertive and impressive than the nose.

M: Smooth bodied, with low, but appropriate carbonation. Nice dry finish leaves a refreshing, almost zesty close.

O: A delicious, unique Cantillon. Not quite as nice as the initial bottling. There has been discussion that its not quite the same recipe ... I'd believe it. It also could just be harvest to harvest variation in the grapes. Regardless... I dig this beer and was glad to get a few.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2011 00:28:29 | More by callmemickey

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.1/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Happy Zwanze Day 2011! Had on tap at Spuyten Duyvil. About a 4oz pour served out of a Cantillon flute. Reviewed from notes.

Served with a 1 finger foamy white head with poor retention. No lace. Beer is a clear tomato peach. Moderate legs. Decent but average.

Nose is a pungent sweet grape, cheese, farmhouse dung, wet hay, and cobwebs. Very typical and very delicious of Cantillon. Some sharp fruitiness tickles the nose also.

Opens grape tartness, some sharp cheese. More sour grapes in the middle. Grape pulp, seed, and skin. Some wet hay at the end. Finishes with a residual sweetness and a tart grape skin aftertaste. Super funky and delicious but quite simple.

Light bodied with low to moderate carbonation. Oily, dry, and sticky in the mouth with a dry finish and a puckering, dry aftertaste. Really brings out the funky tartness in this one.

A really solid offering from Cantillon but probably the least impressive of the grape-based fruit lambics that I've had from them. Still, I'd love to have the opportunity to have this one again some time.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 22:45:13 | More by SpeedwayJim

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The 2011 Zwanze poured at Churchkey in DC arrives a reddish pink with no head. The nose is a lot more lemony than the first batch of the pinot d'aunis, with the lambic being more assertive. There's oak, tannins with grapes and grape skins. This is quite bright on the nose. Moderately fruity with mild yellow peach and some blackberries. Not as peppery as the first batch.



The palate is medium light with a low level of carbonation, working well with the moderate vinous character. Lots more black pepper and blackberries than on the nose. Grape character is moderate with a definite tannin character. The acetic character is very low, and that makes this less strawberry-like and more blackberry-like. The midpalate has a lot of lemon. Drying and tannic on the finish with a lingering lemony sourness and a mild black pepper note, this is excellent. The lambic is great, but i wish the grapes were more assertive. Nonetheless, this is an excellent beer, one i'm glad to have had a chance to revisit this.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 21:09:21 | More by DefenCorps

Sideswipe

California

4.83/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Stone

A- Reddish, orange body with little to no head.

S- Wet horse blanket and subdued red fruit. Pronounced funk in the nose.

T- Sour cherries at the outset. Tart red fruit, strawberries? Mild funk. Finishes tart with a mildly puckering aftertaste. Exquisite!

M- Medium to light body with low carbonation.

O- A wonderful beer! Perfect marriage of tart, sour fruit and funky, barnyard characteristics. Wish this was available all the time. I wouldn't tire of it ever. Highly recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 20:50:33 | More by Sideswipe

Agold

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I ended up getting this at Spuyten Duyvel in NY on Zwanze Day. Zwanze 2011 pours a burnt orange color with a small amount of head that recedes to a small white ring around the outside of the glass. Aroma is huge funk and white grape juice with what I can only describe as fresh paint (in a good way) and mustiness. Flavor is very funky and quite sour with again that whit grape juice flavor. Mouthfeel I light and refreshing with a very nice level of carbonation. Overall this beer plus the experience of zwanze day was outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 19:35:03 | More by Agold

Bendurgin

Maine

4.35/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pores into a taster. Pours a vibrant red grapefruit color with a cap of snow white head.

The aroma tart start to finish with a little bit of sweet grapes somewhere in the middle. A little bit of a red wine vinnegar finish here. Crisp red grape skin flavor. Seems to have a bit of a red grapefruit tartness to it. Fruity and tart straight up and simply delicious.

The body is light with active carbonation. Seems to be a little tannic. Overall this one is darn good. Nice and tart with great grape flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 19:28:58 | More by Bendurgin

andrewinski1

Maine

4.2/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Zwanze Day 2011! Pours hazy red orange with a thin layer of bubbles on top.

The aroma is tart orange with some sweet grape. There seems to be just a tad bit of blanket smell, but this is overall a clean smelling sour.

The taste starts out with grape skin and has just enough sweetness to balance the crisp tart finish. The sourness is mellow compared to other Cantillons, allowing the fruit flavor to have more emphasis.

The body is light with some nice mellow carboation. This feels juicy.

Very delicious; I continue to enjoy the grape lambics.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 19:28:49 | More by andrewinski1

SMortiL987

Louisiana

4.33/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at the Avenue Pub in New Orkeans for Zwanze Day.

A - Slight cloudiness. Burnt amber, orange, rose. Carbonation evenly falls down side of glass when tilted, but ring persists. 

S - Funk. Horse blanket. Classic Cantillon smell. Slight band-aide, medicinal. Grapes in the nose.

T - Earth, spiciness. A little residual sweetness. Oaky red wine at the end.

M - Slight carbonic dancing on the tongue. Coats the mouth well. Slight astringency yet residual sweetness balances it out. A touch of acidity in the after taste.

O - Exceptional sour as usual from Cantillon. Glad to have partook.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 19:28:22 | More by SMortiL987

OfficerBarbier

California

4.7/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 Cantillon Zwanze @ Russian River Brewing, Santa Rosa, CA

A- Light burgundy red with zero head.

S- Very tart lambic-ey berries; strawberry and raspberry.

T- Funky, acidic and delightully fruity. Flavors become more pronounced with temperature.

M- Light, biting and clean, tannic, with lactobacillus and genre-defining accompanied salivary ejaculations.

I- As with the vast majority of special Cantillon releases, I just can't get enough. Some age would probably allow the fruit character to mature and 'ripen'. Love it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 19:20:09 | More by OfficerBarbier

brew3crew

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Zwanze day at holy graile. 2011 vintage

A-red body with no head what so ever

S-very tart fruit. Maybe cherries. Very nice.

T-follows the nose. Very funky. Fruit comes out more as it warms up.

M-light and smooth with a crisp clean finish

I- nice beer. Would lovecto see one with age.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 18:52:59 | More by brew3crew

Doodler

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle – big thanks to Jason for sharing this beauty. Poured into my Cantillon taster – a pinkish red with a creamy head and nice lacing. Aroma has a great funkiness to it, with white pepper, grape skin and citrus notes. Taste is apple tart with a vinus backbone. Fresh fruits and red wine dominate the palate. Nicely carbed. The finish is fairly minerally and dry, though overall really well balanced. Glad I got a taster of this, but jealous of those who will be pounding this at Zwanze day. A terrific sour.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 00:53:53 | More by Doodler

Bardwashrind

Colorado

4.53/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks so very much to Popkas for sharing a beer that I had given up the thought of ever trying. Had at his second late summer sour tasting (9/4).

There was a lot of excitement around a bottle without a label and only a sticky not attached to indicate it's contents. "Pinot d'Aunis" as if it was a memo to not forget, can't imagine anyone misplacing their interaction with a beer so damn tasty.

Cork pops out and a soft wave of salmon colored liquid emerges. Aromas of ripe grapefruit juice, green apples, and a little of that Cantillon funk were expressive and fragrant. Nice carbonation that wasn't overly foamy but gave the beer a slight champagne like comparison. The grapefruit aroma was intensely expressive, almost to the point that this could have been a little Cantillon brunch beer.

The nose was a marvel and the flavor was similar in precision. Much softer around the edges than expected. Grapes, tart cranberries, citrus rind and a fresh juiciness gave a much more obvious wine styled body and flavor. The high acid showed through the fruit but took second place to the grape's presence. Very delicious and balanced, more of a softer and elegant bottle from Cantillon.

In comparison to some other grape based sours, There wasn't as much vegetal grape vine flavors as in Don Quiote, not as intense as Saint Lamvinus, less sweet fruit and lemon flavored as in Vigneronne and seemed to have a touch more of that faint cheese rind funk compared to Malvasia Rosso.

Beautiful and refreshing for it's approach of being such a brightly flavored bottle of Lambic. This was a joy to drink and hope to one day experience it again. Excited to hear how it compares to the 2011 Zwanze version.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 15:11:54 | More by Bardwashrind

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Also known as Zwanze 2011...this might be an early release...hand written bottle label. Not dry hopped. Deep tart aroma, tiny head, copper gold color. A touch of grapes, apple, bugs...nothing too tart but rich and flavorful. Very slight touch of wood...dry...lemon.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 22:09:24 | More by DenverLogan

rvdoorn

Netherlands

4.68/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this new Zwanze 2011 beer at the brewery open day at Cantillon. The beers pours a deep red color with a small white head that was not long lasting.
The beer smells a bit like red wine. Fruits, berries, some spicy notes.
Taste: moderate sourness, much less than the average Cantillon beers. Clearly berries are present with a mild sour, pepper spicy aftertaste.
Medium carbonation, very easy to drink. A great brew, one of my favorites cantillons already!

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2011 11:08:54 | More by rvdoorn

kappldav123

Germany

4.28/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Luckily I got to try the new Zwanze this morning at the open brew day at Cantillon. Deep red in the glass, very small head. Fruity-berry aroma, reminds me of dry red wine. Starts mild with an increasing fruitiness. Fine berry notes. For a short moment there are some sweet hints, but that disappears fast. Mild-sourish finish, fruity-berry aftertaste. Very drinkable. Great beer! Too bad there are no bottles of it...

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2011 14:36:25 | More by kappldav123

psiweaver

Washington

4.4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

had this bottle at Cantillon. Not sure what vintage as I got a labeless bottle. Jean's sister indicated that it would be still as thats the only bottles they had. I ended up getting a carbonated bottle. Served into their tulip/wineglass style glasses.

pours a lighter almost clearer than the kriek or framboise but the same shade of red. has a whitish reddish 1/2" head that quickly dissipates.

smells of grapes and raisins with some funky barnyard while still having some acid and citrus notes come through. the taste was amazing.

wonderful rich minerally taste with layers of grapes, raisins and a small hint of citrus over the top. really enjoyed this as you got some of the tannins from the grapes and it had a very vinus quality without being harsh. perfectly carbonated. almost like a rose champagne with some sour to it.

wonderful mouthfeel with soft refreshing bubble's

very easy to drink. wish I could have taken some to go, but very happy i got a carbonated bottle.

they mentioned multiple times that the reason they don't sell to go any more any of the really limited stuff is because they don't like the ebay thing.

we also got to try a glass of the white grape version of this beer with the grapes being from the same producer. This was amazing like vigeronne but not nearly as acidic or harsh. Really wish he'd bottle this but he said its only for fun. Was outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 21:40:48 | More by psiweaver

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

lantern corps beer summit 2010 - day 2, oct 9/2010.

750ml corked and capped bottle.

pours slightly hazy pale orange with a big white head. the head drops fast and leaves a few spots of lace.

aroma is good. vanilla and raw oak. white grape. light alcohol. horse blanket and leather. white bread and biscuit.

taste is great. vanilla and raw oak. white grape. horse blanket. more leather and brett character than in the aroma. very mellow sourness and almost no acidity. white bread and biscuit. low bitterness level. light alcohol.

mouthfeel is is great. just under medium body with a super dry finish. slightly above medium carbonation level.

drinkability is great. great balance. very drinkable. nice mellow funk.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 17:11:26 | More by grub

MasterSki

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle generously shared by Jeppe. Served in a wine glass.

A - Apparently this is one of the still bottles. Pours with a minimal carbonation and maybe a thin ring of big bubbles, and a spot or two of lace. Pink-red hazy body. Looks like unblended grape lambic.

S - Very peppery - reminds me of some red wines I've had. There's some funk and a touch of diaper and baby vomit. Grapes are present, and are definitely more potent than 3F Malvasia Rosso, but are still somewhat mild.

T - Taste is very smooth and vinous, with less pepper and more acetic notes. In some ways this is more similar to Zwanze 2009/Mamouche than it is to any of Cantillon's other grape lambics.

M - Almost no carbonation. Medium-light body, medium dry finish. Very wine or juice-like - surprise!

D - This is very drinkable, and I'd gladly have a bottle if I stopped by Cantillon or Moeder Lambic. That being said, it may be my least favorite druiven lambic from Cantillon - I'm not a huge fan of black pepper in my beer, and the lack of carbonation seens to defeat the more lambic elements while emphasizing the vinous ones.

I had to keep myself from being overly harsh. It's a very nice beer, but not up the Cantillon's extremely high standards. Some bubbles would make this an A- (or even an A). Sorry Dyan, I'm with Arne on this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 17:26:12 | More by MasterSki

Sean9689

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Jeppe for bringing this for our little gathering! 750ml bottle poured into a wine glass.

A - Pours a reddish/brown, some chunks of stuff here and there, a very small head that reduces down to a few bubbles. No retention or lacing, looks like a glass of Pinot (!).

S - Oak, grapes, lots of herbs/spices. Lots of pepper/spice notes, which I'm not sure I really like, but it's not bad by any means.

T - Decent sour/tart, some funk, lots of oak and spices. It's not mind-blowing, but very unique and different.

M - Light, low carbonation, dry/oaky finish. The carbonation really hurts the feel...

D - I was let down by this one. I was really expecting more wine characteristics but instead, was hit by a lot of pepper and spices. Good, not great...

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 16:36:06 | More by Sean9689

tpd975

Florida

4.4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a reddish hue with a a small pinkish head.

S: Nice funky tart citrus fruit and vinous grapes.

T: Funky and tart green apple and lemon zest. Hints of wine with a nice oakiness.

M: Medium in body, sour, crisp, good.

D: Good I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 01:33:38 | More by tpd975

jrallen34

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle purchased at the brewery, poured into a Cantillon tulip...Pours a clearish medium pink, very similar to a cherry 7up. A bright white head with good retention and lacing. This was carbonated nicely...The aroma is complex with a lot going, oak, spices and grapes combine nicely...The taste is very vinous, not as grapey as the Don Q but still a very vinous beer. Again oak, with black pepper, and flowers. Comes mostly across as sweet red wine. The feel is super dry, tannic and superb on the palate, rough, sticky, and full...Easy to drink as this crushed by the girlfriend and I in about 15 minutes.

This is a unique taste, easy to drink and well worth trying, especially if you are a red wine fan.

Had this a second time thanks to Jeppe. Not nearly as impressed, this one was still and drinking it at Cantillon gave me some rose color glasses.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 22:27:30 | More by jrallen34