Louis Max Pays d'Oc Chardonnay 2012
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The house has always retained a family structure and today, Laurent Max, great-grandson of founder Louis Max, together with a motivated team, has doted itself with all the means of success. The house owns or operates over eighty-seven hectare, or two hundred and fifty acres of Burgundy vineyard.
The eccentric Laurent Max has invested heavily in the vinification facilities in Nuits-Saint-Georges, and, more importantly has installed the young and passionate Brigitte Putzu as head winemaker at Louis Max. Brigitte has spent over sixteen years at Louis Max, formerly as assistant winemaker, and has a long relationship with the 87 hectares of vineyards and clos that Louis Max controls. Brigitte’s wines illustrate her meticulousness in their ripeness, purity and balance.
Since the 1996 harvest, Brigitte has had complete control of vineyard management and vinification for Louis Max. No single vineyard is harvested without Brigitte’s nod – only when ripeness is perfect both technically and physiologically.
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.
A catchall term for the area surrounding the Languedoc and Roussillon, Pays d’Oc is the most important IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) in France, producing 85% of this country’s wine under the IGP designation. (IGP indicates wine of good quality, not otherwise elevated to the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status.)
The near perfect Mediterranean climate combined with dry, cool winds from the north, optimal soils, altitudes and exposures make Pays d’Oc an ideal wine growing region. Single varietal wines and blends are possible here and while many types of grapes do well in Pays d’Oc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grenache and Cinsault are among the most common.