Described by its growers as tasting like “crystalline limestone soaked in sunshine”, this remarkable white is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Gris, Mauzac and Verdanel. The two Sauvignons account for three-quarters of the blend (the Blanc cuttings were sourced from the great limestone and flint vineyards of Dagueneau, Cotat and Vacheron in the upper Loire). The white portion of the vineyard is two hectares on the upper slope where the fractured Kimmeridgian is covered by just 20cm of workable topsoil before the vine roots tap into the rock below.
In traditional field blend style, all the grapes were whole-bunch pressed and co-fermented, a process that can take up to three months as the wild yeasts do their work. Emmanuel Bourguignon used a mix of mature barrels (70%) and stainless steel for fermentation. Aging was for 10 months in used barrels sourced from Domaine Jacques Selosse. Following a few years of experimentation, this first vintage has been released with a measure of bottle age, which Bourguignon believes is required for the fruitier younger-vine character to meld with the earthy, limestone backbone.
It opens with citrus rind and yellow orchard fruit spiked with pollen, giving way to a palate of mouth-watering pungency and precise textural focus. Among it all, a fusion of pristine citrus and smoky minerals charges through, bringing a gleam of brightness and length. A white for the heart and head and already in a league of its own…