Domaine de Cigalus Blanc 2016
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A brilliant, clear golden yellow color. Intense, complex bouquet of ripe citrus fruit (grapefruit), peach, honey and dried fruit, along with a toasted note. Full and silky on the palate, mature and ample with notes of vanilla, toast, butter and tropical fruit. Great length.
Domaine de Cigalus enjoys a hot, sunny Mediterranean climate (described as “semi-arid with temperate spring variants”) ensuring early ripening of all the grape varieties.
This arid climate (low rainfall) is offset by the very deep soils (sediments deposited by the Aussou, a stream at the edge of the estate) which store the winter rains for longer but which are less fertile due to the presence of a slightly chalky sandstone in the subsoil, dating back to the Campanian (secondary era, prior to the emergence of the Pyrenees).
Blend: 75% Chardonnay, 18% Viognier, 7% Sauvignon Blanc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made by the team at Gerard Bertrand, and based largely on Chardonnay (there’s 18% Viognier and 7% Sauvignon Blanc), the 2016 Domaine de Cigalus IGP Aude Cigalus Blanc is an exotic, floral, slightly honeyed and tropical fruit-driven white that has building richness, a creamy, layered texture and a good finish. It doesn’t lack for fruit or character and has loads to love. It is going to shine on the dinner table over the coming year or two.
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Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
An extensive appellation producing a diverse selection of good quality and great values, Languedoc spans the Mediterranean coast from the Pyrenees mountains of Roussillon all the way to the Rhône Valley. Languedoc’s terrain is generally flat coastal plains, with a warm Mediterranean climate and frequent risk of drought.
Virtually every style of wine is made in this expansive region. Most dry wines are blends with varietal choice strongly influenced by the neighboring Rhône Valley. For reds and rosés, the primary grapes include Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. White varieties include Grenache Blanc, Muscat, Ugni Blanc, Vermentino, Macabéo, Clairette, Piquepoul and Bourbelenc.
International varieties are also planted in large numbers here, in particular Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The key region for sparkling wines here is Limoux, where Blanquette de Limoux is believed to have been the first sparkling wine made in France, even before Champagne. Crémant de Limoux is produced in a more modern style.