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.
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.
The vintage
The winter 2021 brought lower temperatures than the previous four vintages. The vines were hit by several successive frosts, with a particularly severe one during the night of 7 to 8 April that damaged some of the plots that were relatively advanced in the growth cycle. This was the most intense period of frost since 2017, and the most extensive that Val de l'Ours has experienced. The other significant weather factor was the very low rainfall, which delayed the restarting of the vines’ growth after the frost. The soil’s water reserves were only replenished at the very end of the season, after the harvest. These extreme weather conditions delayed the growth and development of the vines and the ripening of the grapes. The harvest started on 13 September, two weeks later than in 2020. The weather was favourable during the harvests. A few days of rain interrupted the picking schedule, but they were welcome in that they helped the final stage of the late-ripening grape varieties. As every year, Val de l'Ours Blanc is a blend of the estate's wines with wines selected from the best Languedoc terroirs for growing Chardonnay.
Varietal
Chardonnay : 100%
Tasting
Beautiful, bright, clear colour with pale yellow and green glints.
The nose is full-bodied and rich with an aromatic palette of white fruit and citrus notes mingling with a combination of almond blossom and pink grapefruit.
On the palate, the wine is round, fresh, and lively with a hint of acidity and slightly mentholated, aniseedy notes. It has the typical minerality and freshness that constitute the identity of Val de l'Ours Blanc.
The nose is full-bodied and rich with an aromatic palette of white fruit and citrus notes mingling with a combination of almond blossom and pink grapefruit.
On the palate, the wine is round, fresh, and lively with a hint of acidity and slightly mentholated, aniseedy notes. It has the typical minerality and freshness that constitute the identity of Val de l'Ours Blanc.