Thanks to the clay and limestone soil in which these grapes grow, you have here a Chardonnay with a slight mineral-ality to it's flavour making it clean and crisp, and without all of the dense and buttery characteristics that define traditional Chardonnay.
As a result, you are left with the fresh fruit to shine through. A pale golden colour with lively green highlights; the nose is classically expressive of stone fruit, lemon, cut apple and just a slight twinge of warm spice. The palate is delightfully flavoursome suggesting ripe nectarine, pear and melon given definition by a brisk tang of citrus before a long dry finish.
Awards and Accolades
2013 Vintage: Sam Kim, Wineorbit.co.nz "The wine is generously expressed and immediately appealing on the nose displaying peach, mango, vanilla and creamy notes. The palate is ripe, rounded and smooth, and offers attractive fruit intensity, backed by smooth texture and well-integrated acidity. Friendly and highly enjoyable"
2012 Vintage: Gary Walsh, The Wine Front "Peach, wheatgerm, spice, and a little cream. Good delivery of well rounded Chardonnay flavour that’s kind of broad, but a good belt of acidity keeps it looking fairly trim. Good finish here – a little flint and spiced lime. Rock solid."
From the Vineyard
The Aude Valley, flowing from the foothills of the Pyrenees to Carcassonne in the south of France has a long association with Chardonnay. The high altitude and cooling evening breezes creates fresh and elegant interpretations of this classic grape variety.
Machine harvested from midnight to early morning to maximise retention of natural acidity before a short cold soak at seven degrees. Whole bunch fermentation in stainless steel is followed by 40% maturation in tank on lees for four months without malo-lactic fermentationand 60% barrel matured in one and two year old French oak with malo-lactic fermentation.
After a charmed run avoiding adverse weather, the Languedoc received its fair share in 2014, in particular hail storms that cut a swathe through many regions. The damage significantly reduced crop levels but the fruit that survived is of very high quality.
Don't Pay: $23.00
WBW Rating: 93/100
Closure: Screwcap
Region: Aude Valley, France
