chabanon trelans blanc 2018

in early 1990, alain chabanon placed a wanted ad and was offered 14 hectares in the commune of jonquières. his acquisition was a quality one: old vines on fine terroirs, with several plots and different microclimates, a safeguard in the event of climatic accidents, frost or other devastating hailstorms, but also a source of complexity. the estate is spread across the communes of montpeyroux, saint-saturnin, jonquières, lagamas and saint-andré-de-sangonis. here, at the foot of the cliffs and foothills that border the larzac plateau, the soils are clay-limestone, thinner in jonquières, deeper in montpeyroux and richer in saint-saturnin. mas garrigou is a singular parcel, a fine terroir of rolled pebbles with a good clay content. it had been planted with merlot, a soil that suits it perfectly. if this parcel had been classified as an aoc at the time, it would have been planted with grenache, syrah or mourvèdre. it's fortunate that this merlot benefited from such conditions, and it makes an exceptional cuvée, le merle aux alouettes, an igp from an aop terroir. alain chabanon produced his first vintage in 1992. this demanding winemaker immediately began growing organic grapes, a handicap at the time. awarded the organic label in 2002, alain chabanon wanted to go further and turned to biodynamic viticulture. certified in 2011, the vineyard is now run according to these principles, with treatments of sulphur and copper, herbal teas, silica, compost made from dung buried in a cow's horn, disbudding, and nothing else after that. after 36 months of ageing, this blend of chenin and vermentino, at first a little reduced, opens up with precision and elegance, with hints of melliferae, hazelnut and eucalyptus. there is volume and patina, but also a real impression of energy and length. a precise and very seductive wine.