Domaine Garrabou - Fontvieille - Chardonnay 2018
Domaine Garrabou is located in the town of Gardie, in the Gard, in the Limoux and Languedoc appellation. This rather recent estate has been managed since 2016 by Frédéric Garrabou. The 22-hectare vineyard belonged to his parents who sold their production to the local cooperative cellar. After studying viticulture and oenology, Frédéric Garrabou worked at the Anne-Françoise Gros and Chanson estates then went abroad to discover other winemaking methods: Australia, New Zealand, California. On his return in 2012, he became a consultant for several domaines, most of which worked according to the principles of organic farming, and eventually decides to dedicate himself to his own vineyard. Frédéric Garrabou has a bright future ahead of him, and his vineyard is being converted to organic farming.
The 2018 Chardonnay comes from a 0.75-hectare plot called "La Fontvieille" in Limoux. After the manual harvest, the grapes are put in direct cold pressing. Fermentation is carried out in 500-litres demi-muids with regular stirring of the lees. The wine is aged for 9 months in barrels of several use (around 5 wines from Domaine Girardin in Burgundy). The 2018 vintage saw a strong episode of hail, which reduced yields but which, thanks to Frédéric Garrabou's responsiveness, is of good quality.
Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay