Score: 92/100
The white Grand Vin by Prieuré Saint Jean de Bébian is a typical Southern-France blend of 60% Roussane, 15% Clairette, 15% Picpoul, and 10% Grenache Banc.
Vines the grapes were sourced from are quite old (30 years of age) and low cropping, growing on stony chalky soils (plenty of limestone).
Following whole bunch pressing, each grape variety was vinified separately obviously. Wines were fermented in lightly toasted French oak barrels from the Vosges mountains (25% new) before a further 12-month maturation in oak with regular lees stirring.
Tasting Notes
This Languedoc white wine comes in a rather intense lemon-yellow color, with a wealth of gold hues accentuating the color. Shiny and colorful.
In a few words, the nose is simply: very fragrant.
It is both intensely fruity, and intensely spicy/nutty/oaky.
Apricot, powerful white peach, and ripe lemon aromas (like a limoncello almost) dominate the aromatic profile. Despite these intense fruity characters that define the smell, this wine is far from being about fruit only.
Hazelnut and nutmeg, caramel and vanilla, white pepper and sandal wood, there is also a lot going on the nutty/spicy front adding great depth and complexity.
The palate is dry, oily and textural, with smooth silky phenolics that marry explosive ripe stonefruit and tropical flavors elegantly.
There is a big burst of spices and jammy white fruit notes in your mouth, underlined by the rich body and perceptible alcohol.
Overall
An exuberantly fruity and spicy Languedoc white wine, bursting with intense spectrum of aromas and flavors, making every sip a new discovery, every smell a new learning experience about the grapes and terroir it was made from.
Prieuré Saint Jean de Bébian winery has certainly come up here with a wine of unique expression, stunningly intense yet a balanced combination of primary fruit characters with winemaking notes of oak and ageing on lees.
A wine to experience it is…
Enjoy 🙂
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