Le Grand Pompée Saint-Joseph Blanc
Rhône
Le Grande Pompée is a 9th century character from Victor Hugo’s The Legend of the Ages who fought alongside Charlemagne and loved a wine from the slopes of the right bank of the Rhône. Saint-Joseph is an appellation on the right bank with steep hillsides that were carved into terraces in ancient times. The 10- to 30-year-old Marsanne and Roussanne vines for this wine are planted in granite and schist soils on a South and South-East facing slope. The grapes are hand-harvested and then undergo direct pressing as whole bunches. The juice is fermented at low temperatures in a combination of French oak barrels (80%) and concrete egg and stainless steel tanks (20%). The wine is then aged for 8 months on fine lees in these containers
The 2022 vintage began with a lack of rainfall during the winter months. Budburst was rather late but vegetative development accelerated quickly. Flowering took place towards the later half of May and very quickly due to high temperatures. The summer started with a stormy episode that gaves the vines some rest. Very hot weather followed in July and August without any rain. Rains in mid-August allowed the vines to recover. The grapes were on average lower in weight than normal, promising a rich vintage with concentrated flavors and beautiful colors.
Pale blond with green reflections, this white wine has aromas of pear, pineapple, and white peach with light buttery notes, a delicate acidity, and salinity on the finish
- Saint-Joseph has steep hillsides that were carved into terraces in ancient times
- Hand-harvested and whole bunch pressed
