With this wine, we have put all our traditional savoir-faire into the crafting of a prestigious Côtes du Rhône. This is an elegant wine with a typically big character, which celebrates the traditional grape variety, the king of the Southern Rhône Valley: the Grenache Noir.

In order for this variety to express its full potential, the soil is worked sustainably with a rigorous pruning of the vine in the winter and green harvesting and leaf thinning to reduce the yield. The grapes are harvested when they reach the right level of maturity.

Appearance – Bright golden yellow hue with a few green tints.

Nose – Fresh and fragrant. In its early youth, the nose shows more of a green apple and citrus character. After a year of cellar-ageing, peach and candied lemon come to the fore with a touch of honey, mango aromas and a hint of acacia blossom.

Palate – When young, the wine is fresh on entry to the palate with notes of lemon, lychee and mango. The palate is complex with a good balance of roundness and acidity and is set off by aromas of grapefruit, boxwood and fresh summer fruit. After one year of cellar-ageing, the palate becomes rounder and more elegant acquiring greater length and fat with exotic fruit, acacia honey and candied lemon notes.

LOCATION

The grapes are sourced from small wine producers in the Rhône Valley, all of whom have been working in partnership with Maison Brotte for several decades. The winemaking process is where Brotte shows all its savoir-faire and expertise when it comes to the regional grape varieties.

TERROIR

We have selected vines planted in gorgeous silty-clay soils and which receive a lot of sunshine. The hot, dry climate facilitates the ripening of the grapes and ensures that the vineyards remain in good health. The Grenache Blanc grape variety, harvested early, produces thiolated aromas such as citrus and exotic fruit. Viognier and Clairette add complexity with their notes of peaches and white flowers.

VINIFICATION & AGEING

The pneumatic pressing is direct and gentle and carried out at low pressure. After a cold settling of the must overnight at 10°C, the alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats at a low temperature of 16-18°C. We do not carry out the malolactic fermentation to preserve as much freshness as possible. We then age the wine for 6 months on its fine lees with regular bâtonnages (stirring of the lees) in stainless steel vats. The wine is bottled in the March or April following the harvest

SERVING

Serve at 11°C.

FOOD PAIRINGS

Enjoy as an aperitif or paired with a seafood and citrus fruit salad chicken with crayfish, sweetbreads in a white sauce and fresh goat’s cheeses.

Name: Esprit

Brand: Brotte – Les Crus

Classification: AOC Côtes-du-Rhône

Type: White

Region: Rhône Valley (France)

Grape Varieties: Grenache Blanc complemented by Clairette and Viognier