Montsablé Chardonnay, IGP Pays d'Oc, France, 2020

Producer Profile

Wines inspired by the spirit of place - ‘L’esprit de lieu’. The wines of Terres Fidèles are created in the Roussillon and surrounding regions, a place of remarkable stories where layers of history and cultures are embedded in the raw and wild landscape.

Authentic, crafted small batch wines. Wines of the wilds. Old vine Grenache, Carignan, Malbec, Cinsault, Viognier and more. Wines to share..., some of which, namely Felicette, Mont Rocher and Montsablé we have been proudly producing for some time.

Viticulture

This Chardonnay comes from the village of Puicheric, close to Carcassonne and situated in the Minervois AOC. Close to the Canal du Midi and the Aude river, this area of low rolling hills and cooling breezes provides the perfect environment for Chardonnay. The 20 year old vines are dry grown on clay soils which retain water during drought but the lack of irrigation restricts the yield and increases the quality.

Winemaking

The must is lightly clarified before fermentation in order to express the varietal aromas of the Chardonnay. The maceration temperature is kept quite high (20°C) in order to encourage a more complex array of flavours. Maturation on fine lees in both stainless steel and French oak ensures that end result is a wine with a crisp yet complex flavour profile.

Oak Ageing

Time: 3 months
Type: French
% wine oaked: 20
% new oak: None

Tasting Note

A bright yellow gold hue and seductive scents of blossom and cinnamon spice. A remarkable melange of pears, peach, honey toffee, cream and vanilla (from a short spell of oak ageing) on the palate. Beautifully balanced with ripeness, acidity, length and real structure. A very classy Chardonnay