2020 'Infiniment de 'l'Ou', Château de l’Ou
Languedoc-Roussillon, France
This vibrant Chardonnay is characterised by great minerality, layered with bright citrusnotes, floral hints and toasted nuts through to a vibrant, saline finish.
The Chardonnay grapes come from the Côtes Catalans, which is the principle IGP allowing only mono-varietal wines. The vines thrive at an altitude of 385 metres’ elevation in the Haute Vallée de l’Agly, in the Roussillon region. The climate is Mediterranean, strongly influenced by cooling coastal breezes combined with mountain-freshness from the foothills of the Pyrenees which balance the hot, arid summers. The terroir is made up of a mosaic of black schist soils, which date back to the Cretaceous period. The schistous marl produces shallow soils, which force the vines to send their roots deep in search of water and nutrients. The vineyard is certified organic.
Whats in the bottle
Chardonnay 100%
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Château de l’Ou is a dynamic, organic estate owned by oenologists Séverine and Philippe Bourrier. Séverine grew up in Africa and returned to her hometown of Bordeaux to study oenology, while Philippe started out as an agronomist working the Hevea plantations in Brazil, where he experimented with organic cultivation. In 1998, Séverine and Philippe Bourrier bought Château de l’Ou, in Montescot, in Roussillon. ‘L’Ou’ translates as ‘egg’ in Catalan, and refers to an ovoid-shape resurgence of water that was located at the site of the property. They immediately converted to organic farming- an avant-gardist approach in Roussillon at that time and the estate is now certified by Ecocert. The estate, which originally comprised 30 hectares: 22 hectares of vineyard and four of olive trees, has been gradually expanded by adding plots from across the region, by 2018, it covered a further 45 hectares. They use their expertise to cultivate the Roussillon terroir with its heat and arid lands to hand-craft wines using a variety of fermentation vessels, from concrete eggs, terracotta and sandstone amphora to barrels, producing stunning, supple cuvées which showcase this distinctive terroir.
50% of the grapes underwent skin-contact maceration in new French oak 300 litre barrels, lasting for four to five hours at 5°C, obtaining excellent extraction of flavours and
aromas. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts at controlled temperatures of 16 to 20°C with daily bâtonnage to impart texture and complexity. The remaining 50% was vinified in terracotta amphora to retain the freshness and purity of fruit.
Country
France
Grape
Chardonnay
Producer
Château de l'Ou
Region
Languedoc-Roussillon
Size
750ml
Types
White Wine
Vintage
2020
Sub-Region
Côtes Catalanes
2020 'Infiniment de 'l'Ou', Château de l’Ou
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- France