2021 Blanc*
Blanc is the result of years of research and quarantine of the best white varieties we can find amongst the ancient north-west Mediterranean vine types. The fact that these Châteauneuf varieties have been successfully blended for so many years encouraged us to pursue Châteauneuf’s top whites on our southern coast. The Blanc is produced using the simplest winemaking techniques to showcase the fresh and crunchy style these varieties provide.
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VINTAGE SUMMARY
We had a very favourable 2021 growing season with good winter rains, a mild flowering and fruit set period, and continued spring rainfall which ensured a healthy canopy. The yields showed a good balance between vine vigour and moderate berry size. The ripening period that began late January was very cool, with some welcome rainfall in mid-February. This delayed harvest, and with the cold nights and mild sunny days of March, we were pleased with the resulting fruit ripeness and intensity. The freshness and bright natural acidity of the fruit were a real feature of this vintage.
WINE MAKING
The Grenache Blanc and Roussanne were hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and fermented separately. The Picpoul, Clairette and Bourboulenc were picked together, as their ripeness was very similar, and volumes were small. The unclarified juice was fermented in 675 litre ceramic eggs and older French oak barriques with no acid or sulphur additions. These varieties are supposedly very susceptible to oxidation, but we find we get better results by not adding sulphur until the completion of primary sugar fermentation. The resulting wine was then matured in those same vessels on lees and stirred monthly for 4 months. Bottled August 2021.
Technical Notes
