LE BLANC DE BLANCS

ORGANIC WINE 2020

TERROIR

AOC Côtes de Provence.
The coastal land of Château Barbeyrolles is located in the Maures hills area, on the peninsula of Saint-Tropez. All twelve hectares have shaley soils dating back to the Paleozoïc era.

GRAPES

60% Semillon, 40% Rolle.
Average age of the vines : 35 years old.

VINTAGE

A rainy fall allowed the water reserves from the soil to be replenished. The winter was soft and dry, leading to an advance of the vegetative cycle with early budbreak starting on March 11th. The vineyard suffered from a historic frost on March 26th. We had to wait until May to record milder temperatures. Flowering began on May 15th on the Grenaches and it went normally, with no noticeable coulure. The hot and dry weather of July, combined with the good water reserves, contributed to the good development of the vines during summer. The harvest started on August 14th and finished on September 4th.

GROWING

The vineyards are worked by hand, using natural animal fertilizers and treating the soil with sulphur and copper only from 3 generations. We do not use any chemical weed killers. Buds are trimmed and a green harvest is practice to purposefully limit yields. A part of the vineyard is plowed with horses. The area between the rows of vines is grassed over with cereals.

WINEMAKING

All grapes are harvested by hand, sorted, not de-stemmed and directly loaded into the press without crushing. The grapes are lightly pressed so as to obtain optimum delicacy and fragrance from the very heart of the grapes. Wines ferment with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel, gravity-fed cuves and it undergoes malolactic fermentation. Bottled at Château Barbeyrolles.

TASTING NOTES

Underneath its pale golden color with yellow-lemon hues, the nose shows a clean, fine character. The flavors are sweet, inviting, such as the ripe pear notes. Some aniseed and tarragon hints complete the harmony, bringing freshness. As the wine breathes, a citrusy feeling comes along, reminding the exotic yuzu, as well as the cedrate.

The mouthfeel is silky, the sweet perfumes are typical for the 2015 vintage. Some honey notes mix with zesty citrus, bringing up some subtle bitterness and lingering minerality on the finish. This slightly smoky, savory aftertaste could remind some volcanic terroirs, without having their lively footprint.

Enjoy it now, served with a John Dory filet, sorrel and citrus foamy sabayon. If cellared for 4-5 years on, one can taste it with some guinea fowl breast, roasted with herbs butter under the skin.

— Julia & Bruno Scavo

DOWNLOADS

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Download the technical sheet