Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay – Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay from the Languedoc Roussillon is fresh, fruity and round, with a delicious minerality. Full tasting note and wine making – Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay has very expressive aromas with stone fruit such as apricot or peach, evolving to floral notes of acacia blossom and aniseed. It is well balanced on the palate with fresh, fruity and round notes and a delicious minerality which is the signature of this wine from one vintage to the next. It is softly oaky and has a very harmonious finish which remains superbly fresh. The climate is typically Mediterranean, warm and sunny with low rainfall. Winters are mild, summers are hot and the usual dry conditions ensure that the grapes ripen fully. Vines are ploughed; no weed killer is used. Pruning is short to regulate the vine’s growth and its yields. The grapes are picked at night, in two passes: the first harvest is done at a relatively early stage in maturity, to keep freshness in the wine. Then 15 days later a second harvest is done, to get good concentration and varietal aromas. Grapes are de-stemmed and then macerated at 5°C for 4 hours. Fermentation is temperature-controlled 15°C (no malolactic fermentation). The Chardonnay is aged for three months in oak barrels then bottled. The Producer – Founded in 1995, Calmel & Joseph is a maison de négoce specializing in Languedoc-Roussillon wines from private wineries from across the region. Over the years, they have built close personal relationships with a large number of growers from all appellations. Convinced of the extraordinary potential of this region, oenologist, Laurent Calmel, and Jerome Joseph work together on the vinification, blending and ageing of wines with the common purpose of demonstrating the little known yet unique quality of these Mediterranean terroirs. Free of all certification labels, our viticultural and vinification practices are natural and environmentally friendly. The Joseph & Calmel range comes from a rigorous selection of vineyards, with a particular focus on very cool terroirs (often on the very edge of wine growing areas). The grapes are picked (by hand) when they are perfectly ripe. We prefer gentle vinification rather than aggressive extraction. Careful blending harmonizes the balances of the local varieties. Our wines are patiently and naturally aged until they undergo gentle bottling which preserves the original balances and aromas. These wines are analyzed by an independent laboratory to detect active agents: full analyses of the wines are available on this website. At Calmel & Joseph, they are committed to the concept of freshness, finesse and elegance in our wines. Being located in a Mediterranean and therefore hot region, they look for terroirs which are as cool as possible, often found at the edge of wine growing areas in the mountain foothills. Once we have decided on the terroir, they look for vineyard plots which are worked as naturally as possible, because they believe that it is from these vineyards that wines with the greatest complexity, but above all the strongest personality, are produced. Once their criteria are met, they meet the wine grower and offer him/her a partnership on the selected plots. www.calmel-joseph.com Drink with – It is great with salads and fish dishes.
