Esprit de Cres Ricards Viognier Pays d’Oc

Established in 1960 in a place known as ‘Cres Ricards’ in the area of Ceyras, Languedoc. The estate sits at the foot of Mont-Baudile, in the foothills of the Larzac plateau and the Massif Central. Vineyards here in the Terrasses du Larzac grow many different varietals, with Viognier being one of the larger components of the 42 hectare site.

The free draining, mineral rich soils carried down by the River Lergue offer exactly the same conditions as some of the famous Southern French Grand Cru appellations. Jean Claude Mas saw the potential of this site, subsequently he has been fascinated by the silky wines produced from these soils ever since he took over the estate in 2010.

The 2016 is described as one of the hallmark vintages of recent years, producing exceptional ripeness levels and perfectly healthy grapes throughout the yield. Freshness is the key to this vintage, so much so that not one single gram of sulphur has needed to be added to the wine. This Viognier will continue to develop over the next couple of years and is very much a joy to drink now.

Fermented in stainless steel vats and finished for 4 months in old French oak barrels with just 30% of the wine being allowed malolactic conversion. This is a very elegant wine with lots of fresh peach and dried apricots, floral hints of honeysuckle and violets as well as mellow oaky nuances in the form of vanilla, spices, brioche and honey.