Château de l'Ou Blanc, Côtes de Roussillon 2021
A refreshing cuvée full of lime, citrus and white fruit aromas leading to a textured palate with beautiful balance and a crisp, mouth watering finish.
The grapes come from the AOP Côtes de Roussillon, where the vineyards are located within a natural amphitheatre open to the Mediterranean Sea, and surrounded by mountain ranges. The vines are grown on the Roussillon plains where the soils are made up of alluvial marls. The climate is Mediterranean, strongly influenced by cooling coastal breezes combined with mountain-freshness from the foothills of the Pyrenees which offer balance to the hot, arid summers. The vineyard is certified organic, no herbicides or chemicals are used. Yields are kept low to ensure good concentration of the pure fruit flavours and the fruit is hand-harvested at optimal maturity.
Each variety was vinified separately. The grapes underwent skin-contact maceration lasting five days at controlled temperatures of 5°C. Fermentation took place at controlled temperatures of 14 to 15°C with selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks, to retain the purity of fruit and freshness.
Château de l’Ou is a dynamic, organic estate in Montescot, Roussillon owned by oenologists Séverine and Philippe Bourrier. Purchased in 1998, they immediately converted to organic farming, an avant-gardist approach in Roussillon at that time, and the estate is now certified by Ecocert. The estate, which originally comprised 30 hectares: 26 hectares of vineyard and four of olive trees, has been gradually expanded by adding plots from across the region, by 2018, it covered a further 45 hectares. L'Ou’ translates as ‘egg’ in Catalan, and refers to an ovoid-shape resurgence of water that was located at the site of the property, which Séverine and Philippe wanted to bring to life in their project. Together, they use their expertise to cultivate the Roussillon terroir with its heat and arid lands to hand-craft wines using a variety of fermentation vessels, from concrete eggs, terracotta and sandstone amphora to barrels, producing stunning, supple cuvées which showcase this distinctive terroir.
