Domaine de Montcalmes - Chenin 2023
Domaine de Montcalmès is one of the major signatures of Languedoc, located in Puéchabon, about thirty kilometers northwest of Montpellier. Since the creation of the estate in its modern form at the end of the 1990s, Frédéric Pourtalié has imposed a demanding, precise, and deeply personal vision of the Languedoc terroirs. Trained with reference winemakers such as Olivier Jullien, Alain Graillot, and Laurent Vaillé, he has built a style based on finesse, long aging, and the search for balance. While Montcalmès is mainly recognized for its great red from the Terrasses du Larzac and its white based on Roussanne and Marsanne, this Chenin 2023 belongs to a much more confidential vein. Produced in tiny quantities, around only 800 to 1,000 bottles, it is among the rarest cuvées of the estate. This bottle reveals a unique facet of Montcalmès, more unexpected, almost Loire-like in spirit, but deeply rooted in the limestones of Puéchabon. It is a cuvée for enthusiasts, curiosity, and great precision, designed for those seeking the most exclusive expressions of the estate.
The Chenin 2023 cuvée is made exclusively from Chenin Blanc, an emblematic grape variety of the Loire but here interpreted in the Mediterranean and limestone context of Languedoc. The vines are planted on clay-limestone soils of Puéchabon, which bring the wine a beautiful tension, a straight structure, and a mineral finish. The choice of Chenin in this region is particularly interesting because this grape naturally retains high acidity and allows balancing the sunny ripeness of the south. The grapes are hand-harvested, then destemmed and crushed before direct pressing. Cold settling precedes a fermentation with indigenous yeasts, faithful to the estate's low-intervention approach. The long aging of 24 months in oak barrels and demi-muids gives depth, texture, and a gastronomic dimension without erasing the grape's tension. The result is a rare, original, and very structured white that marries the verticality of Chenin with the Mediterranean density of Montcalmès.
In the glass, Domaine de Montcalmès Chenin 2023 reveals a clear and bright robe with slightly golden reflections. The nose evokes white fruits, pear, ripe apple, quince, white flowers, and a delicately honeyed touch. The palate is taut, fresh, and deep, with ample matter but perfectly held by Chenin's natural acidity. The aging brings volume, a slightly creamy sensation, and fine bitterness, while the limestone terroir extends the finish on a saline and mineral note. It is a gastronomic white, original and refined, capable of surprising with its balance between richness, freshness, and precision. It will ideally accompany a noble fish, roasted salmon, scallops, creamy poultry, aged goat cheese, or vegetable cuisine centered on root vegetables. Serve around 10 to 12°C in a large glass with slight aeration, or keep for a few years to reveal more complex nuances of fine honey, wax, dried fruits, and warm stone.
Grape variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
This item is limited to 1 unit per customer.
