Nose
Color: brilliant light straw yellow
Smell: The aroma of this Chardonnay releases exotic fruity impressions with nuances of banana, quince, passion fruit, mango and sugar melon plus a hint of lemon balm.
Taste: A touch of pear gives the Chardonnay a mouthfeel that is very soft and harmonious combined with sweetish exotic fruit components. Its slightly mineral note makes this wine smooth and adds an intriguing contrast.
Growing Conditions
The year began with a very dry and mild winter. A cool spring slightly delayed vine budding, but the normal growth cycle was restored by a very warm and sunny May. The first vines flowered on the earliest sites in the middle of the month, and the fine weather then led to a rapid flowering process. On the higher sites, flowering was finished by the beginning of June. Due to an exceptionally hot and dry summer, there were few problems with fungal attack, but the lack of rainfall pushed the vines to their limits in some cases. Rainfall and thunderstorms at the end of July and beginning of August put an end to the lack of water, thus averting drought stress and related quality problems and generating the comforting prospect of an early harvest.
Harvest
Harvesting began on August 24 on the earliest sites. The result was fully ripe and extremely healthy grapes with slightly reduced levels of acidity.
Winemaking
Manual harvest and selection of the grapes; gentle pressing and clarification of the must; slow fermentation at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks, aging on the lees in steel tanks for 6 -7 months.
Food Pairing
Ideal with a plateau de fruits de mer with raw prawns and langoustines; vegetable risotto and cream of root vegetable soups (potato, cream of celeriac); dishes with a mildly tangy cheese (e.g. a soft Robiola) including cheese dumplings and pasta dishes with cheese; also sea bass in salt or veal paillard.
