A tale of Viognier

There's a lot of activity over the summer in the vineyards, but it's less human intervention than the busy bees, birds and butterflies to a soundtrack of birdsong. There's a general sense of peace and tranquility, as there's not much that the vineyard team can do other than monitor for signs of stress or disease. we've had a cool and wet May and June so far, which has meant some delay in ripening. However we are expecting some hot, dry weeks ahead so the grapes will soon catch up and ripening will progress.

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Laurent and Henri first planted Viognier in 1992 and were actually the first growers to plant Viognier in the Languedoc! Over30 years of working with this sometimes challenging grape has thought us how to coax out the wonderful aromatics and texture of Viognier, while retaining its freshness and elegance - not always easy with Viognier! The Côte 128 Viognier plot produces a very special wine. We named it 'Pech Sevignac', paying homage to the old Occitan name of this site on the ancient ordinance survey maps. The plot is on a slightly higher altitude than the other vines in the estate (averaging 128m) and the vines are on average 20 years old. This means we get a lower-yielding vine, but the grapes are beautifully rich and concentrated. We harvest at night to preserve freshness and because our winery is onsite, we don't need to add any sulphur or anti-oxidants to the grapes. We only use the juice of the very first pressing to preserve the unique aromatics and fruity aromas of Viognier. The berries when ripe are small, giving a high skin-to-juice ratio, so gentle extraction is key when it comes to getting the very best quality wine. We age Côte 128 Pech Sevignac in second use French oak barrels for a few months which adds texture and complexity, producing a wine of depth and interest. Our favourite food pairings for Viognier include spicy Asian-inspired dishes or a simple cheese board. Cheers!