Our Wines - French
Palmer & Co. might just be the best Champagne house you have never heard of.
Champagne Palmer is deeply implanted in the champenoise mosaic on 365 hectares of a wide and exceptional vineyard area, scattered in about 40 different regional sites: so many colours and nuances which allow our cellar masters to compose a rich and beautiful masterpiece.
With 180 hectares of vineyards classified in Grands and Premier Crus, it is from the Mountain of Reims that Palmer gets the main part of its supplies. The regions of La Côte de Sézanne, of La côte de Bar, and La Vallée de La Marne complete the assemblage by bringing their own specificities.
The grape-varieties are divided into: 50 % of Chardonnay, 40 % of pinot Noir, 10 % of pinot Meunier: The ideal proportions which shape the unique style of the cuvées elaborated by Palmer.
A double gold medal winner at 2013’s International Wine Challenge, Champagne expert Tom Stevenson recently included Palmer & Co. in his list of ‘The 5 most underrated Champagne producers.’
Just outside Bordeaux, over the famous Pont d’Aquitaine bridge on the right bank of the Garonne, sits the village of Saint-Loubès, home to Château Bel Air Gassies and its 19 hectares of vines. The Château is named in honour of the five generations of the Gassies family who have tended these vineyards with a single, timeless goal: to capture the magnificent complexity of this terroir. Château Bel Air Gassies strikes a successful balance between tradition and modernity: tradition thanks to winemaking expertise built up over five generations, and modernity thanks to the shrewd application of new technologies in the vineyard and the winery.
Château Bel Air Gassies boasts a beautiful ruby-red robe. The nose is dominated by ripe red fruit and dark berry aromas. The opening is supple, expanding to reveal a robust structure underpinned by crisp tannins. Already a pleasure to drink, and should continue to develop for another three or four years. A classic, accessible Bordeaux.
It was in 1900 that the great-grandfather, François Pessonnier,who was already a grape grower in Lansac, acquired Château Lamothe. For more than 100 years, the family had upheld their passion for the terroir and its wines. This passion has been passed so effortlessly through the generations, 10 years ago, Anne Pousse-Pessonnier decided to end a career as a doctor and focus entirely on the estate. It was unthinkable to sever a long history that began as far back as 1820, recognised for the first time in September 1868. In the second edition of the “Bordeaux et ses vins” wine guide in that year, Charles Cocks referred to the Château among the “Cru Bourgeois” of Côtes des Bourg. 2001 saw the launch of the “Réserve Joubert”
AUTHENTIC CÔTES DE BOURG WINE, "Château Lamothe “Réserve Joubert” reveals an extensive palette of aromas,featuring ripe, dark fruits accompaniedby spicy notes. The wine is full-bodied and shows good structure on the palate,backed by robust, promising tannins bringing abundant character. Anupfront and generous wine
A Bordeaux wine proud of its roots
Château Les Belles Murailles is located on the outskirts of Bordeaux, in the district of Saint-Loubès. Inspiration for its name came from ancient fortified walls, which today stand in ruins amid the vines.
In 1896, the Château was acquired by the Manaud family. 5 generations have followed, and since August 2011, Marie-Isabelle Manaud-Guibbert, with her husband Laurent, are proud to be able to produce a highly traditional Bordeaux wine, made from a blend of the 5 Bordeaux grape varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Like the most prestigious Bordeaux Crus, the wines are aged for several months in oak barrels, with the focus on seeking the perfect balance of fruit and oak. This is a Bordeaux wine with stunning aromatic complexity, structured for ageing.
A real gem, unpretentious and drinkin magnificently well now or will reward a little cellaring time.
The wine at Chateau les Belles Murailles is a lovely dark red colour tinged with subtle terracotta shades, is concentarted and intense on the bouquet, revealing well integrated oak and fruit. Impressive lingering aromatics and subtle silky tannins on the finish.
70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 4,5% Malbec and 1,5% Petit Verdot.
The Coteaux Varois vineyard in Provence is located in the heart of "Provence limestone". In the narrow basins and valleys, production is strictly defined in twenty-eight communes grouped around Brignoles, formerly the summer residence of the Counts of Provence. Its terroir is distinguished by marked reliefs that rise from 600 to more than 1,000 meters for the Sainte-Baume massif. The vines grow in altitude: 350 meters on average, 500 meters for the highest parcels. In addition, the presence of the rock massifs of Sainte-Baume in the West, the Bessillons in the north and the Bar de Cuers in the south stop the maritime influences. All this relief gives the climate of Coteaux Varois in Provence a continental character: the autumns and often very soft spring alternate with sometimes hot summers and very cold and rigorous winters more marked than in the rest of the region
Nearby the Verdon regional Park, at 300 meters above sea level, the Domaine de Cantarelle spreads over 130 hectares of vineyards in an outstanding natural cirque. The vineyards benefit from a clay and limestone type soil and from the generous sunshine of Provence. Gorged with fruit and sun, the wines of Cantarelle are cheerful and have a gourmet and fresh taste.
Domaine de Cantarelle is using sustainable practices. They are pursuing an Organic approach and have minimal sulphur added to their wines.
Organically Produced - Low Alcoholic wines 9.5% alc/volume
Created in 1974 in an historic "terroir", Domaine de l'Herré's 130 hectares of vineyards stretch out over the south-facing slopes of a crest, Located in the Gers, at the heart of Gascony, next to Eauze, offering an exceptional view of the Pyrenees. Domaine de l'Herré produces Côtes de Gascogne white wines from a wide diversity of grape varieties: mostly Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gros Manseng and Colombard.
The micro-climate of Gascony, the fawn sand soil and high standards set by the people who work it result in fresh wines offering exceptional aromatic strength. Wines for pleasure and for sharing, a must-not-miss.
South-east, south and south-west facing, the vineyards at Domaine de l'Herré are planted on one of the best terroirs in the appellation, mainly composed of fawn sands (sand, ferrite and clay). Contrary to many French vineyards, this soil remains neutral in its organoleptic input but has the major advantage, combined with Gascony's specific micro-climate, of adding a constructive acidity to white wines to support the very special expression of Sauvignon.
The Côtes de Gascogne vineyards mainly cover the Gers "département". Annual production is 900,000 hectolitres of which 91% are white wines. This vineyard was born under a lucky star: in a terroir swept by a temperate ocean climate; its history goes back more than 15 centuries. Like its Musketeers and its Armagnac, its white wines now contribute to its reputation.
Domaine Roux Pere & Fils was founded in 1885 with a mere 4 hectares in the village of Saint-Aubin in the heart of Burgundy, France. Under the leadership of the 3rd and 4th generation, Marcel Roux and his son Christian, the family’s proprietary vineyard holdings have expanded to include more than 70 hectares located throughout the Côte d’Or, most extensively in the sub-region of Côte de Beaune. Today, Domaine Roux is one of the top 10 largest landholders in the region, wholly owned and operated by the 4th and 5th generation. Its vines are planted exclusively on eastern and southern facing slopes, benefiting from premium exposures. Their vast holdings are comprised of varying soils. All grapes are harvested by hand at optimal ripeness and vinified in accordance with the appellation’s regulations.
With steadfast attention to detail, Domaine Roux combines valuable traditions with the most advanced technology to produce a vast portfolio of terroir-driven, varietally accurate expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir renowned for superior quality.
Passion, flavor, terroir: three words that have never ceased to inhabit Grimaud winegrowers since January 1932 when, under the leadership of eight men invested and determined, the Societe des Vignerons was born.
The desire to progress, adapt, innovate has animated the generations of winemakers who have followed one another at the winery. Eight decades later, the will and the ability of these men to look into the future have made this winery one of the most important of the Var, which gathers 203 members cultivating 900 hectares of vines.
The vineyard spread over the communes of Grimaud, Cogolin, La Mole, Plan Tour, La Garde Freinet, Gassin, Ramatuelle, Sainte Maxime.
Consequence of the extent and variety of the terroir: there is not one but several types of Côtes de Provence. Each has its own geological and climatic personality. Eight production basins make up the appellation: the Maritime Border, Notre-Dame des Anges, the Haut Pays, the Bassin du Beausset, the Sainte-Victoire mountain, Fréjus, La Londe and Pierrefeu. Currently, four local appellations are recognized, each of which produces wines with a marked typicity: Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire, Côtes de Provence Fréjus, Côtes de Provence La Londe and Côtes de Provence Pierrefeu.
Since 2009, the Cave is engaged in an upstream quality approach. The members benefit from a technical follow-up with advice in support. A weekly phytosanitary bulletin is published and distributed to all taking stock of the practices to be performed and the pressure of the various diseases of the vineyard. All plots are visited before harvest and prioritized using an evaluation grid. Parcel selections allow us to produce a very consistent range of wines.
The immediate proximity of the Mediterranean Sea conditions the climatology specific to this sector. Winter and summer temperatures are reduced. Annual precipitation is particularly low (less than 700 mm / year). The duration of insolation is important and the ventilation regime by sea breezes is almost permanent and of high amplitude.
In 2016, the Goichot family took the reins of this pretty estate, owned by the Perret du Cray family since 1798. The Château du Cray has a 22ha wine estate, north of Buxy, in Saône-et-Loire. The vines stretch around the castle, in the middle of the hillside, and benefit from a privileged East to South East exposure. Here, the vines plunge their roots in clay-limestone soils predominantly clay, characteristic of the Côte Chalonnaise. By taking over the estate, the Goichot family is committed to the deep groove of cultivation practices and winemaking and aging methods that have presided over the notoriety of Château de Cray for more than two centuries.
A tribute to the noble Burgundy which goes through wines aged for the most part in oak barrels, by the stirring of the whites, the manual punching down of reds, aging on lees ...
Introducing our Chateau de Cray Bourgogne Rouge
Location and terroir
At the southern tip of the Côte Chalonnaise, in Saône-et-Loire, our Bourgogne Pinot Noir Château du Cray is located in the town of Buxy and represents 3.70ha.
Vinification / Aging
The grapes are destemmed and vinified in vats for about 4 weeks, thus revealing all the richness of their aromas. After devatting, the wines are entered in oak barrels and aged for 15 months.
Tasting
Beautiful red color, clear, with ruby reflections, the nose opens on the typical red fruits of Pinot Noir (blackcurrant, morello cherry, redcurrant) with smoky, humus and sometimes animal notes. Rich and complex, its texture is firm with supple and elegant tannins. Nice balance.
Food and wine pairing
Meats in sauces or grilled such as a good Charolais fillet in sauce, a Burgundy fondue and cheeses with character (époisses, coulommiers, etc.). With a few years, it will be the good companion for lamb, duck and game.
For almost seven centuries, the vines have been cultivated at the Oiselinière. From 1335, we speak of vines. Of course, at the time, the latter were not used to make wine but alcohol. We called them “toasting” wines.
The first Muscadet vines appeared in the south of Nantes in 1635 and it was at the Oiselinière that they were planted there. A parchment, deposited in the Departmental Archives attests to this. We read the following: Jean Goulet de la Fosse de Nantes, bailiff for several individuals of the parish of Gorges, a 78 bushel piece called “Grands Gats”, depending on the land of the Oiselinière, to plant it in vines white Muscadet ”. These plots are always the same. The property remained in one piece. All the vines are grouped around the Château.
They face south-west and dominate the right bank of the Sèvre Nantaise. This plateau is made up of a source rock called "gabbro". Gabbro is a rock which, unlike basalt, has undergone slow cooling allowing crystallization, hence the presence of crystals. Its grainy structure is green / black and very dense, called plutonic. This exceptional soil, the sunny exposure as well as the constant ventilation of the vines give birth to particularly aromatic and fine wines.
Matured on its lees until bottling, giving it an attractive "prickle" on the palate and nice weight. Clean tasting with crisp mouth-watering acidity and a bright, bone dry minerality and lovely interplays of lime blossom, tangy orange zest and an apple bite. A consistently great producer of this style of white wine made from the Gros Plan grape."
2019 Vintage coming early March
Situated on the beautiful slopes of Thauvenay in the Loire Valley, several generations have worked at this Domaine perfecting the process that makes Robert Cantin wines so good. Currently fourth generation, handed down from father to son the Domaine spreads over 32 hectares. Producing wines from various appellations in the Loire Valley, they search for quality at every step of the process, from making sure the vine yields are low, to doing as much of the vinification by hand as possible (or in the case of crushing the grapes, by feet!) We have a strict management to the vineyard (organic approach, no herbicide, grass-growing, hoeing, ploughing, disbudding, green harvest…), hard work in the winery (wild/natural yeasts…).The wines are made to reflect their appellation, while still retaining a house style, and offer superb, artisan quality at very good prices.
Varietal tipicity, floral, fruit ripeness and the traditional flint with mineral structure is the hallmark of these wines. Clean, fresh, vibrant and so contemporary in style.