La Combe Pilate Viognier 2020 6x75cl

• 75cl bottle

Delicate with notes of bergamot and flint stone. Very fresh on entry, dominated by the typical Viognier aromas. On the mid-palate, there is good balance between the acidic tension associated with its terroir of origin and the natural full body of the varietal and its ageing. The finish is savoury, bringing out the rustic and mineral overtones.

Vineyards

Clay, quartz pebbles, limestone gravel and loess. Areas with leptynites (gneissic metamorphic rock) granitoids.

Vintage

2020 will undoubtedly stand out as an atypical year. The winter was mild marked, by a water shortage over the period, although reserves from 2019 helped to alleviate this. Budbreak was 10 days earlier than in previous vintages. Although snow fell after budbreak and frost was a real risk, it only affected a few vines in Beaumont Moneux. June brought plentiful heat and sunshine in the Northern Rhône and some welcome rain in the Southern Rhône. Grenache in the Southern Rhône looked beautiful and Syrah in the north perfectly balanced. Harvest was earlier than usual starting in early September and proceeded calmly and without any weather pressures. Marked by exceptional earliness and scorching mid-summer heat, the 2020 vintage offers us wines full of elegance and pedigree. They have all the markers of great ageing potential thanks to preserved acidity and remarkable phenolic maturity. The elegance of the red wines and the expression of minerality supported by a beautiful acidity on the whites are the hallmarks of this particular vintage that is full of surprises.

Winemaking

Direct pressing of the whole bunches. Selection of the best juices from the pressing. Light settling. Fermentation followed by 8-9 months ageing in stainless vats. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Very light stirring up of the lees (batonnage) during the first months of ageing.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted White Meats
• Fish/Shellfish
• Pizza/Pasta
• Salads and Picnics
• Mild Creamy Cheeses
• Mature Strong Cheeses
• Oriental
• Spicy

Sautéed shrimp with ginger, rillettes tapas with salmon and lime, or cod tartare with radish.