A really well made, organic southern French white
Gently aromatic on the nose with a stony, flinty quality on the palate along with hints of ripe nectarine, beautifully balanced and satisfying with a refreshing pithy finish. Bouncy and modern but very much of its place.
The estate was founded in the 11th Century by the hermits of Sainte Cécile d'Estagel Abbaye and it made wine for pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostella. The estate encompasses 80 hectares of sunny, south-facing vineyards planted on sandstone soils and benefitting from Mediterranean breezes that cool the vines in the summer.
The vineyard benefits from the exposure of Costières de Nîmes southern hillsides cascading down towards the Mediterranean, a location which provides optimal sunshine but benefits from refreshing sea breezes. This cool marine wind drops summer temperatures from 35°C to 30°C favouring even ripening and water retention in the pebbly soil. This wine is produced from low-yielding 20 year old vines and the grapes are picked early to preserve the fruit aromas.
The winery is a member of Terra Vitis, a group dedicated to safeguarding the environment and using natural treatments wherever possible, and they have now moved to full organic certification. Grapes are destemmed before being gently presseed. The must is cooled to 6°C to facilitate natural clarification then fermented at 16°C and kept on the fine lees for 3 months to develop and accentuate the flavours.
A lovely apéritif but also matches well with asparagus, grilled fish and chicken in a creamy sauce
