Paul Mas Reserve Chardonnay Barrique 2013
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Jean-Claude Mas, first-generation winemaker, fourth generation grape grower, and owner of Les Domaines Paul Mas, is a leader in fine winemaking in the Languedoc region of Southern France. Since taking the helm of the family winery in 2000, he has prioritized sourcing the highest quality grapes from twelve privately-owned estates and premier growers in the Languedoc to make wines of authenticity and refinement. The result is a collection of charming wines that burst forward with the warmth and stunning beauty of the region. Paul Mas Réserve is located between Pézenas and Montpellier, 10 km from the Mediterranean. The vineyards cover 162 hectares across the Languedoc, Languedoc Pézenas, Grés de Montpellier and Pays d’Oc appellations. These sites also provide the fruit for the Château Paul Mas line of wines. The vines are grown in an exceptional setting, surrounded by olive trees, pine forests, oak trees, and orchards–they enjoy exposure from the north, south, and west, and are cooled by the Mistral and Tramontane winds. The grapes are heavily influenced by the gravelly clay and limestone soils on the hillsides of the Herault valley, and the chalky, fossil-rich soils on the hills of the Thau marshes. The vines are grown using sustainable viticulture practices, with portions of the vineyards being organic or certified Terra Vitis.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
An extensive appellation producing a diverse selection of good quality and great values, Languedoc spans the Mediterranean coast from the Pyrenees mountains of Roussillon all the way to the Rhône Valley. Languedoc’s terrain is generally flat coastal plains, with a warm Mediterranean climate and frequent risk of drought.
Virtually every style of wine is made in this expansive region. Most dry wines are blends with varietal choice strongly influenced by the neighboring Rhône Valley. For reds and rosés, the primary grapes include Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. White varieties include Grenache Blanc, Muscat, Ugni Blanc, Vermentino, Macabéo, Clairette, Piquepoul and Bourbelenc.
International varieties are also planted in large numbers here, in particular Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The key region for sparkling wines here is Limoux, where Blanquette de Limoux is believed to have been the first sparkling wine made in France, even before Champagne. Crémant de Limoux is produced in a more modern style.