2020 Domaine Astruc Chardonnay Limoux Réserve

Jean Astruc, coach driver in Limoux, has a dream: his own wine estate. The dream came true in 1862, with the acquisition of 12 hectares of vineyard in Malras. His son Jean Astruc shares the same ideal and continues to acquire land despite the crisis and his departure to the battlefields of the First World War. In the 1950s, his son Pierre inherits the Domaine Astruc. It then encompasses more than 30 hectares of vineyard and the resources to exploit it. In 1977, after completing his studies, Pierre's son, Jacques Astruc, returns to Malras to continue building the Domaine Astruc with his father. The Domaine Astruc has continued to grow ever since and has become a modern winery. In 2003 Jean-Claude Mas came into the picture: owner and winemaker of Les Domaines Paul Mas, a successful and independent family business in Pezenas, also in Languedoc. He had long worked with Astruc – the main source of their Vin de Pays wines – and decided to buy the Domaine. The d'A range is the first fruit of this purchase.

Domaines Paul Mas was founded in 1892. The current owner is Jean-Claude Mas and he is without doubt the pioneer of the revival of the Languedoc as a region for quality wines. Jean-Claude describes his wines as 'Le Luxe Rural', rural luxury. He has given the Languedoc 'new world' allure with international grape varieties. And with his fashionable wines from local grapes, he has made the local character of the Languedoc hip again among wine lovers. Hubrecht Duijker rightly calls Jean-Claude Mas a 'wine wizard' and at Grandcruwijnen we are the only company in the Netherlands to also carry the high-end Grandcrus of Paul Mas.

The oak-aged Chardonnay comes from different vineyards located in the Limoux appellation in the Languedoc. There is a Mediterranean climate here, but the Atlantic Ocean provides the necessary cooling. After the harvest, the grapes are pressed, avoiding contact with the skins. The juice is cold fermented in oak barrels. Part of the wine (60%) undergoes a malolactic fermentation to soften sharp acids and make the wine more rounded in taste. The wine is then aged for 9 months in 50% French and 50% American oak. One third of the barrels are new.

The wine has a light golden yellow color in the glass. In the nose we smell tropical fruit, white flowers and notes of butter and vanilla. In the mouth this is a full, soft wine with a nice balance between the tropical fruit, the acids and light wood. Because not only new oak is used, this wine retains its elegance and freshness.

Delicious with a risotto with shellfish and crustaceans or sole. Also delicious with forest mushroom soup, or roasted chicken from the oven and mashed potatoes with truffle.