An exciting, pure and complex dry white that’s reshaping Sauternes’s winemaking history. It's a daring pairing of Grand Cru Classé winemaking skills and the fine terroirs of Sauternes, home to France’s finest sweet wines. Owner, Olivier Bernard, believed that the region’s amazing panoply of soils could also make top quality dry Sémillon. In 2011, he set out to prove it.
He brought in the team from the Graves' Grand Cru Classé Domaine de Chevalier, to help achieve his vision. Using intense, old-vine Sémillon from three terroirs, and a dash of Sauvignon, this cuvée was aged for six months on its fine lees, with 25% in new oak. Together they add layers of complexity and creamy weighty. A masterpiece of luscious fruit, spice and freshness.
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Our Languedoc buyer, Mark Hoddy, was in Corbières's Fabrezan cellar, tasting through the vintage. One white stood way out, so good, he insisted on visiting the grower. The upshot is this glorious, rich oaked white with ripe peach freshness.
Vines have been planted in this very southerly part of the Rhône since Roman times. They certainly knew a thing or two about making wine, so it’s safe to bet that this terroir is spot on for great wine! Typically, when you think of the Rhône you think of Syrah and Grenache. But award-winning winemaker Thierry Ferlay has shown that, in fact, Bordeaux's Merlot ripens perfectly in his local vineyards, not far from Châteauneuf.
Using old-vine fruit for extra intensity, he has created a silky red with plum and blackberry notes and a hint of pepper and liquorice. Easy going and fruity, it makes a delicious glassful on its own as well as a great stand by for mid-week suppers from sausages to shepherd's pie. A top choice for a barbecue too.
