Winemaker Notes
A lovely golden hue with stone fruit aromas (apricot, peach), a delicately roasted floral touch, minerality and complexity on the nose. Lovely and fresh on entry, full of minerality and complexity. A well-balanced wine thanks to the freshness and the fat of the Grenache Blanc. Notes of white flesh fruits with hints of vanilla.
Blend: 60% Grenache Blanc, 40% Vermentino
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
A richer, more substantial white, the 2020 Côtes Du Roussillon Occultum Lapidem Blanc (60% Grenache Blanc and 40% Grenache Gris) offers an incredible nose of white currants, flowers, honeyed minerality, and toasted brioche. Aged mostly in stainless steel, yet with 30% of the blend in demi-muids (some of which are new), it’s concentrated, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully balanced. It’s a seriously good white in the making.
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
James Suckling
A solid, structured and creamy blend of grenache blanc and vermentino. It has notes of dried mangoes, lemon peel and some white peaches. Medium-bodied with a fresh stream of blanched almonds bringing freshness and vivacity on the palate. Well rounded and focused, with a flavorful finish.
Domaine Bila-Haut is owned by the well known Rhone Valley Oenologist, Michel Chapoutier. The name refers to an old farm villa which was built high into the mountain slopes , among some old vineyards. The Domaine comprises 75 hectares of land cultivated under bio-dynamic farming techniques and is characterized by steep pebbly slopes rising from almost 150 meters above sea level. The soil has 3 components…Schiste, Gneiss and Clay, and the Grape varieties are Grenache, Carignan, and of course Syrah. The cool winters and very hot summers combined with little rain, and the drying Mistral breeze during the growing season is perfection for these varietals…in some respects better than in the Rhone Valley. The Domaine is located in the commune of Latour-de-France…just about as close as you can be to Spain, but still be located in France, with a great deal of history related to the Nights Templar, and the Cathar movement, hence the T in the title of the Domaine shaped like the Nights Templar Cross.The wines exhibit the distinctive pepper and spice of Syrah, but are bigger and rounder in the mouth, with great complexity coming from the Carignan and Grenache. Here is A Rhone producer getting the best out of the Terroir in Lanquedoc… a superb combination! And one of the best Wine Makers in France.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
An appellation solely for dry red wines from Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon-Villages is a step up in quality compared to, simply, Côtes du Roussillon. The area is in the northern third of Roussillon, bordered on its southern end by the Têt River, which runs precisely from west to east. Five villages can append their own name to the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages appellation name: Caramany, Latour de France, Lesquerde, Tautavel and the last, south of the Têt River, Les Aspres.
Côtes du Roussillon-Villages red wines are blends made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and small amounts of Carignan, Cinsault and the lesser known, Lledoner Pelut (a relative of Grenache).