Domaine Ferrandiere Grand Vin (Chardonnay / Viognier / Pinot Gris)

Bright golden yellow, with an array of tropical fruits, mingled with expressive stone fruits, toasted bread and sweet vanilla on the nose. The palate opens with layers of peach and pineapple, minerality and somewhat floral, finishing full with toasted oak and lashings of tropical fruit. Allow to open in the glass and do not over chill. Would be best served with shellfish, white meats and even blue cheeses.

The vines are planted on the old saltwater marsh of Marseillette and on the hillsides of Saint Frichoux. Deep beneath the clay soils lies a bed of salt and they were able to remove the salinity using the very specialised technique of flooding the vineyards for 40 days every winter. This also protects the vines from frost damage. As these soils are not susceptible to phylloxera, they have planted ungrafted vines.

The estate, covering 100 ha, benefits from a Mediterranean climate but due to the relief of the terrain, there are large variations between day and night-time temperatures. 18 grape varieties, very, typical of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, are produced on the estate such as Grenache and Grenache Blanc, Pinot gris, Alicante, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Marselan, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Vermentino, Riesling and Viognier.

The vines, aged between 7 and 25 years old are machine harvested and trained using the Cordon de Royat and Guyot simple methods. The estate is farmed sustainably and is certified by Terra Vitis, producing wines classified as IGP Pays d’Oc and Coteaux de Miramont. The yield is around 65 hl/ha with a planting density of 5400 vines per hectare. The estate’s top wines are the Grand blanc (Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris) the Grand Rouge (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Marselan and Petit Verdot) and the Riesling.