2021 Domaine Astruc Marsanne

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 grown into a modern winery, pressing the grapes from over 400 hectares of vineyard, harvested by about a hundred farmers. The annual production is 21,000 hectolitres. 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.

The Astruc is a 100% Marsanne. The local climate in these vineyards is Mediterranean, but it is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The soil is calcareous with a sandy structure and locally strongly siliceous. The grapes are harvested partly manually and partly mechanically during the night to prevent oxidation. The fermentation at a constant temperature of 16°C. No malolactic fermentation. After this, about 25% of the wine matures in barrels of French and American oak.

In the glass, the Paul Mas Astruc Marsanne has a pale straw yellow colour. In the nose notes of pear, floral notes, hint of melon. On the palate, the Marsanne is round and mild, quite full-bodied and the good acidity keeps it fresh and lively. In the aftertaste we taste a hint of acacia honey. The Astruc Marsanne is an excellent aperitif, and a good accompaniment to white meat and a bouillabaisse.