La Combe Pilate Viognier 2018, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes

• 75cl bottle

Delicate with notes of bergamot and flint stone. Very fresh on entry, dominated by the typical Viognier aromas. 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.

Vineyards

Clay, quartz pebbles, limestone gravel and loess. Areas with leptynites (gneissic metamorphic rock) granitoids.

Vintage

Who would have predicted that this 2018 vintage would cause such joy and rank among the remarkable Rhône Valley vintages that have come on after another since 2015? Strong rains, heat waves and violent, localised storms were the marks of this vintage full of intensity and doubts, until the exceptionally hot September. It is a vintage where we had to react fast to relieve these hot waves, but that lead to prodigious wines with a great aging potential, with preserved acidity and silky tannins thanks to specific work in the cellar and on the tanks to maintain this balance.

Winemaking

Direct pressing of the whole bunches. Selection of the best juices from the pressing. Light settling. Fermentation followed by 8-9 months ageing in stainless vats. Undergoes malolactic fermentation. Very light stirring up of the lees (batonnage) during the first months of ageing.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted White Meats
• Fish/Shellfish
• Pizza/Pasta
• Salads and Picnics
• Mild Creamy Cheeses
• Mature Strong Cheeses
• Oriental
• Spicy

Sautéed shrimp with ginger, rillettes tapas with salmon and lime, or cod tartare with radish.