CombePilateBiodynamicViognierChapoutier2022

<p>Combe Pilate Biodynamic Viognier, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, M Chapoutier, Rhone, France, 2022 Grape: 100% Viognier, unoaked, fruit from Chapoutier’s personal estate.Producer Tasting Note:This dry white wine is delicate with aromatic notes of bergamot and flint stone. Very fresh on entry, dominated by the typical Viognier character. On the mid-palate, there is good balance between the acidic tension associated with its terroir of origin and the natural full body of the varietal and its ageing. The finish is savoury, bringing out the rustic and mineral overtones.Certified organic and biodynamic. Whole-bunch pressed. Fermentation followed by 8–9 months’ ageing in demi-muids (600-litre barrels) previously used for one or several vintages. Undergoes malolactic conversion. Very light stirring up of the lees during the first months of ageing.Critics’ Tasting Notes:”Classic jasmine, peach and nectarine flavours, with an oily texture and honeyed, fruit-driven palate. Good intensity and concentration.”90/100 points (Silver Medal), Decanter World Wine Awards, 2024″A fruity, mellow and refreshing white with aromas of fresh lemon, white peach and toasted almonds. Medium-bodied with fresh acidity. Delicate texture with a delightfully fresh center. White flowers dominate the finish, with a touch of minerality.”91/100 points by James Suckling, 2024″My own position on natural wine is that it’s the next logical step from organics: if you’re not using chemicals in the vineyards, then it makes sense to try to avoid them in the winery. Like all wines, there are good and bad examples – it all comes down to the talent and application of the winemaker and the quality of the fruit they get to work with. And when it comes to the good bottles, I’d rather write them up as “wines” like any other, rather than singling them out as “natural” – it’s funny how many more people will enjoy natural wines when they’re not alerted to the fact (many more, I think, than there are drinkers who will only drink natural). It’s a similar story with biodynamics, the cosmic form of agriculture that requires its adherents to bury cow horns filled with manure in their fields and time their work to the astral and lunar calendar, and which, despite my reservations about the absence of science behind it, is used to make so many of my favourite wines – such as Chapoutier’s gorgeously fresh yet fleshy honeysuckle-and-apricot scented white.”ARTICLE: Organic, natural & biodynamic bottles to shift preconceptions – David Williams, THE GUARDIAN, 9th February 2025Recommended to accompany a wok of monkfish with green curry, star anise & crisp vegetables (bell onions, peas).Combe Pilate Biodynamic Viognier,IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, M Chapoutier, Rhone, France, 2022</p>