L’Estabel Grande Cuvée Comtesse Blanc 2023
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L’Estabel Grande Cuvée Comtesse Blanc is a lush, vibrant white from an acclaimed cooperative in France’s once-forgotten winemaking area of Cabrières.
Nestled into a sub-appellation of the Languedoc called Pézenas, the tiny region has produced fine rosé since 1357. (According to legend, it was also King Louis XIV’s favorite wine region.) The Cave L’Estabel cooperative was established that same year and now counts 20 local families who have been farming the vineyards for generations.
They can also count on an increasing amount of acclaim.
Long overshadowed by its famous next-door neighbor, Gérard Bertrand’s Clos du Temple, the estate finally got its day a few years ago, when their fine rosé earned them Guide Hachette’s “Winemakers of the Year” award.
Its popularity has been growing ever since—which means you ought to try the wines now, while you still can.
This white is a blend of Clairette (the signature white grape of Châteauneuf-du-Pape), Rolle (aka Vermentino), Grenache Blanc and Bourboulenc sourced from five sloping valley vineyards that radiate out from the village of Cabrières to form a star shape. The vineyards’ soils are uniquely upside down: ancient, mineral-rich metamorphic rocks lie on top of much younger sediments. (It’s long been a conversation among local geologists.)
The resulting wine is crisp and elegant, offering fresh notes of pear and citrus with an herbaceous nuance that’s rounded nicely by tones of ripe peach and honey. Enjoy it as a well-chilled aperitif or pair it with salads, seafood, chicken and more.
Stocks are extremely limited.
L’Estabel Grande Cuvée Comtesse Blanc is a lush, vibrant white from an acclaimed cooperative in France’s once-forgotten winemaking area of Cabrières.
Nestled into a sub-appellation of the Languedoc called Pézenas, the tiny region has produced fine rosé since 1357. (According to legend, it was also King Louis XIV’s favorite wine region.) The Cave L’Estabel cooperative was established that same year and now counts 20 local families who have been farming the vineyards for generations.
They can also count on an increasing amount of acclaim.
Long overshadowed by its famous next-door neighbor, Gérard Bertrand’s Clos du Temple, the estate finally got its day a few years ago, when their fine rosé earned them Guide Hachette’s “Winemakers of the Year” award.
Its popularity has been growing ever since—which means you ought to try the wines now, while you still can.
This white is a blend of Clairette (the signature white grape of Châteauneuf-du-Pape), Rolle (aka Vermentino), Grenache Blanc and Bourboulenc sourced from five sloping valley vineyards that radiate out from the village of Cabrières to form a star shape. The vineyards’ soils are uniquely upside down: ancient, mineral-rich metamorphic rocks lie on top of much younger sediments. (It’s long been a conversation among local geologists.)
The resulting wine is crisp and elegant, offering fresh notes of pear and citrus with an herbaceous nuance that’s rounded nicely by tones of ripe peach and honey. Enjoy it as a well-chilled aperitif or pair it with salads, seafood, chicken and more.
Stocks are extremely limited.
