Hornhead Chardonnay, Côtes de Gascogne, 2022

French Chardonnay made “New World way” and is modern in both expression and taste. This really punches above its appellation, the result of better grapes, careful handling, lower yields and the skill of the winemaking team. Buttery, complex and yet steely-fresh with a nice zing of acidity and baked apple-pie characters.

Tasting Notes:

A bright pale gold in the glass, the nose is soft and full of ripe fruit aromas like melon and pear. The palate is fruity and soft with a good roundness. Serve it for tapas, fish with tasty accessories, welcome and Asian-inspired food.

Specification

Vinification Harvested at night the grapes undergo a modern winemaking process. After a 24 hours skin contact, at 6°C, only the premium juices are fermented at low temperature. The intense fruit aromas come from the specific method used to extract all of the fruit flavours from the lees. During 40 days the juice is kept at a 0°C temperature then the extracted clear juice contains all of the fruit specs of the grapes.

ABV 12%

Size 75cl

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Country France

Region Gascony

Area Pays du Gers

Type White Wine

Grapes Chardonnay

Genres Vegan, Vegetarian

Vintage 2022

Style Dry

Body Elegant, crisp and delicate

Producer Xavier Roger

Producer Overview Mastering the nuances of Southern French varietals and combining traditional and modern winemaking techniques, Xavier Roger wines are a superb example of the quality that are now being produced in the South of France.

Closure Type Screw Cap

Food Matches Perfect with Asian inspired food

Press Comments Brian Elliott, Daily Record, September 2021: "Gascogne in south-west France often wows us with colombard and ugni blanc based wines but it is not the most obvious place to look for the chardonnay used here. Nevertheless, this is hugely successful fare striking just the right balance between acidity, fruitiness and texture. Floral and smooth, it provides juicy melon and red apple flavours with pithy citrus acidity and supporting coriander, oregano and pie crust elements.