La Croix Chaptal - Clairette Blanche 2017

Clairette is a very rare grape variety: only a few hectares in France, and they may well all belong to Charles Pacaud! A textbook exemple of a beautiful Clairette vinified dry: superb notes of anise and white fruit on the nose, citrus and a lovely almond-like bitterness on the palate. Aged 6 months in barrel, 12 months in tank.

Located in the Hérault valley, Domaine la Croix Chaptal is 30 kms northwest of Montpellier. Created in the 9th century by the Benedictine monks of the Gellone Abbey, this estate is divided between 11 ha of woods and 25 ha of vines. It has been revived since its purchase in 1999 by Charles-Walter Pacaud, who had discovered it during his viticulture-oenology studies in Montpellier. It is cultivated in a spirit of respect for the environment: integrated pest management with control of the natural grass, manual harvesting...