A d'Aussières Chardonnay
The vintage
After a winter corresponding to what is becoming normal, some nights below zero with rather mild days. An episode of frost after budburst caused some damage. The months of March and April brought sufficient rain which allowed a good start of the vegetation. The rain left us alone until the end of June leaving us confident on the sanitary level. A nice thunderstorm at the end of June enabled the vines to withstand the hot weather of July and August without any particular stress. In summary, even if the total rainfall is not important, its timing was perfect.
During the harvest, the weather conditions were globally favorable: little humidity, seasonal temperatures and a good sunshine which allowed a good maturation of the grapes.
As every year, A d'Aussières Chardonnay is a blend of the estate's wines with wines selected from the best Languedoc terroirs for growing Chardonnay.
Location
The estate is nestled in the rugged hills just behind the Mediterranean coastline of Narbonne, in the South of France.
Terroir
The soils are very shallow and rocky on the slopes, and deeper and sandy on the plain. Yields are voluntarily kept very low in order to preserve the vines and ensure the production of high quality grapes. This Chardonnay comes form the coolest plots of Aussières and selected neighbouring terroirs, in order to obtain a wine with distinctive freshness.
Winemaking
Grapes are harvested before daylight when temperatures are at their lowest. After a few hours of cold maceration, they are pressed and fermented at low temperature in stainless steel tanks to preserve their aromatic potential. The wine is partly aged on lees in order to obtain a good balance between roundness and freshness.
Grapes
Tasting
This wine has a brilliant and limpid color with pale yellow reflections.
The nose is intense, revealing elegant floral notes before opening on a complex bouquet of white fruit, such as pear, and exotic notes of fresh pineapple elegantly enhanced by a touch of citrus.
On the palate, the attack is clean and tense, then it is a parade of generous aromas ranging from Williams pear to peach, supported by notes of roasted hazelnuts and almonds. The fresh and saline finish confers a nice balance to this Chardonnay.
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