Domaine Madeloc Tremadoc Blanc, Collioure 2022
Fragrant notes of white blossom and ripe juicy nectarine lead to a rounded, unctuous palate, beautifully balanced by freshness. Fleshy, with tension on the mid-palate and a long finish.
The estate vineyard is located in the AOP Collioure, where the steep, sloped terroir is planted on terraces to enable cultivation. The climate is dry and very hot during the summer, which naturally reduces the risk of disease and the mitigating sea winds bring minerality and elegance to the wines. The grapes used to produce Tremadoc benefit from the cool, sea breezes all year round. The vines are trained on stakes, which allows for larger canopies to offer the fruit shade from the hot sun. The vines are planted at a high density, which encourages the vines grow deep roots to reach the limited water supplies. Three hectares of plots are weeded by hand. The schist soil is made up of shale which favours a continuous diffusion of heat to the vines and imparts mineral characteristics, elegance and opulence to the wine. The vines are hand-harvested at optimal maturity.
Each parcel was vinified separately, with fermentation taking place with selected yeasts in cool barrels. Regular stirring of the lees imparted volume and a smooth texture to the wine and care was taken to ensure that the aromatic flavours were preserved. The wine was aged for eight months in barrels, no new oak was used to keep the oak influence subtle. Blending took place at the end of maturation.
| RRP | £23.50 |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Alcoholic strength | 14.5% |
| Grapes | Grenache Gris 60%, Vermentino 30%, Roussanne 10% |
| Dry/Sweet value | 1 |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
Domaine Madeloc is situated in the stunning appellation of Banyuls sur Mer, in the French Roussillon region, which borders onto Catalonia. Winemaker Pierre Gaillard grew up in vineyards, at the age of 12 he was found ploughing the family vineyard by horse. Naturally, he followed his love of farming and viticulture and went onto study oenology in Montpellier. Upon graduating, he became the vineyard manager for Guigal and in 1981, he set out on his own buying his first parcels of land in the Rhône Valley. However it was Pierre’s passion for the schist soils and slopes that drove him to the Catalan country and in 2002, Pierre purchased Domaine Madeloc. In 2009, Pierre’s daughter Elise joined in him at the Domaine, which now covers 18.5 hectares of mountain and coastal vines. Together they produce clear, precise and fruit-forward wines from the estate’s dramatic slopes that overlook the Mediterranean Sea.
