Val de l'Ours Chardonnay

Val de l'Ours
There’s a place on the hills bordering the Mediterranean shores where nature has always been so abundant that brown bears had chosen it to settle down, knowing that the rocky hillsides and forest would provide them a safe habitat, and the thick vegetation ample supplies of food and water.
Today human activity has reclaimed this fertile valley, pushing the bears further up towards the Pyrenean mountains and allowing us to produce a range of generous wines.

Presentation
Made with the same care that Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) applies to its finest wines, Val de L’Ours (Valley of the Bear) reflects the wild and natural beauty which emanates from this historical vineyard in the French Languedoc region. Val de L’Ours Chardonnay is a fresh and delicate wine. It offers a beautiful harmony of fruit aromas and the perfect balance between richness and acidity.
The vintage
As in previous years, the weather varied enormously over the Languedoc region. The nearby Mediterranean coastline was strongly impacted by low rainfall, not only during the winter but also during the growing season.
However, this very special vintage gave good expression of the vines throughout the growth cycle, from bud break to flowering and the ripening stage. Proof that the combination of cool terroir and plots that are now reaching maturity, could meet the challenge provided by this vintage’s atypical weather conditions.
Against all expectations, the constraints imposed by the climate enabled excellent levels of ripeness to be achieved for all the vines, with beautiful aromatic expressions and good balance for all plots, from the first to ripen through to the last.
At Aussières, the weather provided ideal conditions for the vines throughout the growing season, from bud break, through flowering and ripening.

Thanks to these consistently good conditions, all of our plots were able to reach optimal ripeness, offering excellent aromatic expression and perfect balance for all varieties: from the early-ripening Chardonnay to the later-ripening Mourvèdre and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Varietal
Chardonnay : 100%

Tasting
March 2017
Colour: Beautiful bright yellow with pale green highlights.
Nose: Light notes of pink grapefruit and almond blossom.
Palate: This Chardonnay reveals the complexity of the 2016 vintage in the Languedoc. Ageing on the lees gives the wine richness and body, that are accompanied by freshness and finesse through to the particularly long finish.