Les Clos Perdus - L'Extrême Blanc 2020
Les Clos Perdus is located in Peyrac-de-Mer in Corbières, in the Roussillon. The domaine is managed by Hugo Stewart, Paul Old, Faith Wilson and Stuart Nix. After a career of over 20 years as a professional dancer, Paul returned to his native Australia to study Wine Science at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. He joined forces with Hugo Stewart in 2003 to form Les Clos Perdus. Faith Wilson is an arts PR with a passion for wine and in 2018, she bought shares in the company and became an Associate. Stuart Nix is also a wine passionate but it wasn't until 2010 that he joined forces to help the rest of the team with the vintage. Since then he has worked with Les Clos Perdus on financial matters, and joined as a partner in 2014. They founded the domaine with 1.5 hectares of vines in the Corbières Maritime. In the following year, they acquired more parcels in the Hautes Corbières hills and on the schistose slopes of the Agly Valley. Now, they have 20 hectares of organic and biodynamic vines in 32 different parcels. They have established three unique terroirs, each represented by an individual wine.
L'Extrême Blanc is a cuvée made from old vines planted in 1898 on 1 hectare of dark schistose marl, on a steep slope facing northeast, located at Mas de las Fredas in the Agly Valley. It is a blend of Grenache Gris (70%), Grenache Blanc (25%) and Grenache Noir (5%). The vertical pressing is done by allowing a certain oxidation of the liquids in order to reduce the primary aromas of the fruit and to increase the complexity of the wine and its stability to promote its aging potential. Cold settling precedes spontaneous fermentation in new 225-litre barrels and in old 500-litre French oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is not blocked. Aging takes place in stainless steel vats, with prolonged contact with solid matter. During ageing, autolysis is preferred to resuspension of the lees. Bottling is done without fining, with a light filtration.
Grape varieties: 70% Grenache Gris, 25% Grenache Blanc, 5% Grenache Noir