ABOUT: Olivier comes from a winemaking family in Anjou and after cutting his teeth working in Saint-Emilion he drove to the Roussillin region of the Languedoc and never left. He ended up purchasing some hectares in the early 2000’s next to Domaine Gauby in the village of Calce and it’s been an organic+biodynamic (certified) love fest of wine ever since. He currently farms 20-30 hectares of vines that sit 300 meters above sea level with schistous soils. The first vines he acquired in his purchase were some amazing 40 year old Carignan vines, alongside Grenache, Maccabeu, and Grenache gris and blanc. There is a lot of love in these bottles and we were blown away by the D18; a wonderful expression of white Grenache grapes from craggy slopes in Roussillon. What could be better than that. TASTE: Named after a narrow scenic road, the D18 is a blend of Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc fermented in neutral wooden vats. When tasting this wine your mind might drift towards Viognier but there’s something leaner about the flavors of white Grenache. Loads of flowers and melons like Viognier but with a nervy acidity in the background. Aromas and flavors of lemon curd, honeydew melon, peach, honey, sea salt, almond skin, marzipan, honeysuckle and jasmine. The body and alcohol are medium in weight and the acidity is a tick up. Super fresh and salty. Long finish and the development will continue until this is a drop dead stunner in about twenty years. PAIR: Shitake fried rice with chestnuts, Masala oats with vegetables, butternut squash with hazelnuts, Thai green curry with spring vegetables, and savory coconut sticky rice with mango.
