2015
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Thézan-les-Béziers, 10km north of Béziers
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| Dry white - full bodied, fermented and aged 1 year in barrel |
| 75% Grenache Gris & Blanc, 25% Maccabeu |
14.5%
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Fish, chicken, pork, paella, oriental dishes
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Even better
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Now to 2035 and beyond
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The estate's flagship white, from 80 year-old Grenache Gris and Blanc and Maccabeu vines. Following on from a tasting of older Domaine Ravanès wines I presented to my local wine group in early 2023, we managed to secure a few bottles each of several older vintages (between 2005 and 2015) from the estate's "library stock". And whilst the reds have an undoubted ability to age for many years, these vintages of Le Renard Blanc also serve to illustrate the remarkable age-worthiness and positive evolution of the white wines, over at least 20 years. With extended maceration on the grape skins, followed by a year's ageing in oak barrels, the freshness of youth slowly gives way to a gently oxidative/nutty style, as it ages, much in the way of an old-style white Rioja (think of the Reservas and Gran Reservas of Lopez de Heredia) though with slightly less woody character.
With its bright, pale-to-medium gold colour, this 2015 vintage almost has the look of a wine in its first flush of youth. Herbaceous, spice and mineral aromas greet the nose, with furhter notes of lime oil, quince, mixed herbs and wet stone. In the mouth, it is still tight and focused, with cracking acidity and a touch of tannic grip, with all of those herbaceous and mineral elements coming through, along with flavours of citrus and apple, spice and herb. The overall feel is essentially dry and tangy, but with a gently oily texture and a cool, very long, minty/spicy finish. This vintage is great to drink now, and already massively complex, but will gain even more complexity and weight with bottle age. Indeed, it may turn out to be one of the longest-lived of all the vintages. |
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