Francois Ducrot, "Auguste" VDF 2020

Producer Profile: A longtime ‘cellar wizard’ at famed Languedoc Domaine Enclos de La Croix, Francois Ducrot now has a few wines of his own that he produces as part of a négoce project with the intent of showcasing a hidden, or otherwise under-illustrated, part of the Languedoc. About 45 minutes inland from the idyllic seaside city of Montpellier, Francois Ducrot sources grapes from organic growers in the town of Aspiran who had previously been selling their high-quality fruit to the local co-op to then be blended into bulk wine. In collaborating with these growers, the unique watermark of Aspiran’s character begins to show in wines of purity, crafted thru low-intervention & organic viticulture. This is an awesome project to watch in the years to come that is doing something different in a region that can sometimes be bogged down by the reputation of overfarmed wines-of-similarity. These are the difference.

Vinification: Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with wild yeasts in stainless steel tanks. Additionally, the juice spends about 15 days macerating with the skins. Bottled unfined, unfiltered with a touch of SO2. 

Tasting: A bright and refreshing orange with aromas of citrus and stone fruit. The palate is full of lemony acidity, peaches and dried apricot. Finishes stony, mineral and crisp. A+ aperitivo park wine.