Once again, the 2022 vintage did not bring much water to our Provençal vineyards. This was very difficult for the vine and was also a real challenge for the winegrower. Over the course of its history, Domaines Ott* has evolved to cope well in such conditions. With low rainfall levels up until late June and very high summer temperatures, all of our efforts were focused on keeping our clusters in an environment that was as cool as possible.
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The very pale, pearly pink hue is set off by subtle golden tints. The nose reveals a discreet salinity combined with luscious notes of citrus fruit, vanilla, violets and yellow fruit, all carried by an intense minerality. The wine is fresh and energetic on entry to the palate where it shows a taut structure supported by a lovely backbone of white fruit and citrus peel. Mineral notes come to the fore before giving way to a very persistent finish, bringing both sweetness and salinity.
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THE VINTAGE 2021 is a vintage marked by freshness, which is similar to the vintages we had in the eighties and nineties. It is also what we call a "winegrower vintage", human intervention and the care given to the vines were decisive for the quality of the vintage. Marked by climatic vagaries, with an episode of frost in April and interrupted harvest because of rain, this year has indeed required constant investment from our teams in the vineyard. Their attention and their commitment have borne their fruit: this vintage is very promising with lots of freshness and great balance. AGEING From the month of August onwards we carry out maturity checks and taste the berries regularly to determine the optimum harvest date. Each grape variety is harvested separately. On arrival at the cellar the berries are sorted. Part of the Syrah is vinified in whole clusters and the remainder, plus the Grenache, is destemmed. Vinification is in wooden and stainless-steel vats using the same methods as for the Château de Beaucastel wines. The wines are then tasted to determine the blend, and finally aged in foudres for 2 years. VARIETALS Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah
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BLEND 100% Chardonnay coming from seven vineyard blocks located in the sub-regions of Omaka, Brancott, Rapaura and Renwick. Vine age: 15 to 25 years.STYLE The Cloudy Bay Chardonnay balances New World fruit with Old World restraint. When young, the Chardonnay is vibrant and intense, with white stone fruit, citrus and oral characters melding with subtle oak. With time, the wine takes on a more savoury aspects, melding the fruit core with savoury notes of grilled nuts and brioche, as well as spice. This wine can also be cellared for up to 10- 15 years. FOOD PAIRING EXAMPLES Richly avoured seafood dishes, white and pink meats.
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Château Chasse Spleen 2018 is a fabulous Cru Bourgeois from the Moulis-en-Médoc appellation. Owned by the Merlaut family since 1976, Château Chasse Spleen is a reference in the Médoc for the quality of its wines. The 2018 vintage is made from 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. It has a ruby red color. Its nose is a bouquet of red fruit aromas, spicy and vanilla notes. On the palate, the attack is frank, with enveloped tannins, for a lingering finish.
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We will remember 2013 a s a cool. wet vear. with the exception of July and August. The harvests took place quite late; at the end of September. The warm, very humid, almost tropical conditions of the vintage created a high risk of botrytis and therefore required a meticulous sorting of the grapes. This unusual vintage in Bordeaux was vinified gently in order to avoid excessive extraction. We paid careful attention to the barrel ageing process in order to respect the wines balance between a fruity character, body and a well-honed tannic backbone.
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TASTING NOTES The colour is a straw yellow, with green tinges. This Condrieu has layers of amazingly powerful and complex aromas: violets, apricots, peaches, honey and dried fruit. On the palate, these exuberant flavours are rich, powerful, and highly seductive, with an unctuous texture and a mass of exotic fruit on the finish. CHARACTERISTICS This cuvée is a blend from 4 vineyard plots: Vérin, Saint-Cyr-sur-le-Rhône, Chavanay and Saint-Pierre-de-Boeuf. Average Delas production: 13,000 bottles (75 cl.) per year. Grape variety : Viognier 100%. WINE MAKING After hand-picking, the grapes travel to the winery in small boxes. Gentle pressing produces a must that is fermented at low temperatures 61-64°F (16 to 18°C) within temperaturecontrolled vats in order to make the most of the complex aromas of the Viognier variety. Each year, a variable part of the crop is fermented (20% max.) in new oak casks. MATURING Right after the malolactic fermentation, the wine is racked and then aged fine lees, in order to improve the richness of its structure, while keeping its exceptional varietal aromas. Bottling takes place around mid-April.FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGAsparagus, steamed fish in a butter sauce, lemon chicken.
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The 2013 Chasse-Spleen has a reserved nose of raspberry, cranberry leaf and cedar, a hint of cola in the background with earthy tones becoming more evident with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy red berry fruit, tertiary in style with a rather lean, herbaceous finish that has decent length if not the requisite substance for a wine of this pedigree. Drink over the next 6 to 8 years.
