A really well-made, organic southern French white.
Production
The vineyard benefits from the exposure of Costières de Nîmes southern hillsides cascading down towards the Mediterranean, a location which provides optimal sunshine but benefits from freshening sea breezes. This cool marine wind drops summer temperatures from 35°C to 30°C favouring even ripening and water retention in the pebbly soil. This wine is produced from low-yielding 20 year old vines yielding 50hl/ha. Grapes are picked early to preserve fruit aromas. The winery is a member of Terra Vitis, a group dedicated to safeguarding the environment and using natural treatments wherever possible, and has now moved to full organic certification. Grapes are destemmed before being gently pressed. The must is cooled to 6ºC to facilitate natural clarification then fermented at 16º & kept on the fine lees for 3 months to develop and accentuate the flavours.
Château L’Ermite d’Auzan Blanc, Costières de Nîmes 2024 (6 bottles case)
Vivino ratings
Tasting notes
Gently aromatic on the nose with a stony, flinty quality on the palate along with hints of ripe nectarine, beautifully balanced and satisfying with a refreshing pithy finish. Bouncy and modern but very much of its place.
Food match
A lovely apéritif but also matches well with asparagus, grilled fish and chicken in a creamy sauce.
Info
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ABV
13%
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CASE/BOTTLE SIZE
6 x 75cl
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REGION/COUNTRY
RHÔNE, FRANCE
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GRAPE
ROUSSANNE 60%, GRENACHE BLANC 20%, VIOGNIER 20%
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FEATURES
VEGETARIAN, VEGAN, ORGANIC, SUSTAINABLE
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CLOSURE
SCREWCAP
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WINEMAKER
JÉRÔME CASTILLON
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ALLERGEN INFO
CONTAINS SULPHITES AND NO OTHER ALLERGENS
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Meet the producer
The estate was founded in the 11th Century by the hermits of Sainte Cécile d'Estagel Abbaye and it made wine for pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostella. The estate encompasses 80 hectares of sunny, south-facing vineyards planted on sandstone soils and benefitting from Mediterranean breezes that cool the vines in the summer.
We have a close relationship with owner Jérôme Castillon and he has been instrumental in crafting some of our own wines. Savoir-Faire Mourvèdre is produced from his fruit, by our winemakers, in his cellar. For his own wines, Jérôme restricts the use of oak influence as much as possible and new oak is not used. Favouring old oak, he purchases our old oak tronconique fermenters when we renew them at Domaine Boutinot in Cairanne.
[The estate's name changed from Château l'Ermitage to Château L'Ermite d'Auzan in 2020]
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