Description
Laurent Miquel Chardonnay Viognier is a lively, intriguing marriage of two distinct varieties from dynamic young vigneron Laurent Miquel. The Chardonnay is picked early to retain acidity, and fermented entirely in stainless steel before blending with the beautifully perfumed Viognier juice. The end result is a balanced, round white that instantly pleases both nose and palate. Wine Club Selection January 2013
Laurent Miquel, a talented young winemaker who trained as a mechanical engineer, hand selects the best of his Chardonnay and Viognier grapes from his family estate near Beziers in the South of France. Inspired by his father’s dedication, Laurent bucks the trend of Languedoc over-production, maintaining low-yielding, healthy vineyards boasting delicious fruit. He crafts this premium blend as a testament to the ‘terroir’ to reveal a wine with real personality and character.
The wine region of Languedoc is quite vast, encompassing much of the Mediterranean coastline of France, as well as reaching quite far inward. To the east, it abuts the southern Rhone and Provence regions, and the wines reflect that in their structured blends. To the west, the region divides further, with Bordeaux-influenced wines to the north, and Catalunian-influences to the south. This diversity (and relative cheapness of land) lends itself to a wine culture that is very playful. Lots of producers from other regions buy property here to experiment. In addition, there is an abundance of good, inexpensive wine that makes it to US shores from Languedoc, most with very “cheeky” names.
