Laurent Cazottes, "Champêtre Blanc" 2019

Producer Profile: Laurent Cazottes has the rare distinction among winemakers of being a more-well-known distiller than winemaker – indeed, Laurent’s inimitable spirits run the gamut from walnut/grape experiments, to greengage plum and cherry projects and a distillation of 72 kinds of tomatoes, to some of the most ridiculously complex and delicious eau de vie around, garnering him the reputation of a farmer-cellar wizard. How lucky for us, then, that he also makes wine. Working in the Tarn department in the Occitanie region of southern France, Laurent farms local grapes of the region such as Mauzac Vert, Braucol, Duras, and Prunelart for his wines. He often utilizes old Gaillacoise methods and approaches to fermentation, the goal being of course to render a kind of transparency and honesty of place-and-person, letting the varietal express itself inasmuch as the climate expresses itself. These are the wines of a winegrower and distiller at the top of his game, whose motivation seems to be to make the drinks historically endemic to this region – nearly wiped out by modernization – available for everyday consumption. To preserve and promote what makes this corner of the world unique.

Vinification: 100% Mauzac from limestone and clay soils in Gaillac. Grapes are hand-harvested, pressed off the skins and fermented using native yeasts in tank. Aged on the fine lees. Bottled unfined, unfiltered with a dash of SO2.

Tasting Notes: Pale and crystalline in the glass. Light aromas of red apple, pear and mandarin orange. On the palate, notes of honey, maple and spring flowers are balanced out with a glowing acidity. The perfect winter white to accompany a simple roast chicken.