2021 Domaine Astruc Chardonnay Réserve Sud de France

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 the 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 Astruc Chardonnay Reserve from Paul Mas is a 95% wood-aged Chardonnay with 5% Mauzac, so a wine with that famous butter. The wine is full-bodied but surprisingly light and lively, rich and with remarkable length. After picking, the wine is slowly fermented at a low temperature of 16°C with partial malolactic fermentation (60%) so that the acids are preserved and the wine does not become woolly as often happens with barrique chardonnays. The wine is allowed to mature in oak barrels, 1/3 new and 2/3 2 years old. Half of these barrels are French, the other half American. In the glass, the Asstruc Chardonnay Reserve has a light fresh golden yellow color with intense notes of flowers, a little brioche and vanilla and notes of pineapple, lime and quince in the nose.

Gold Medal on the Chardonnay du Monde This Chardonnay has an unprecedented good price/quality and this is what characterizes all wines fromPaul Mas . It is not for nothing that Paul Mas has been elected European Winery of 2020.