Château des Tourettes : Tinus Marsanne Viognier Plateau de l'Aigle 2022

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Tinus Marsanne Viognier "Plateau de l'Aigle" 2022 from Les Tourettes

Tasting

Appearance
A beautiful yellow hue with golden, even subtly amber highlights, this wine displays a brilliant colour that reflects its fine ripeness.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet reveals great complexity, blending scents of yellow flowers and violet with mouthwatering notes of apricot, exotic fruit, candied citrus and honey.

Palate
The palate offers a superb balance between a rich, almost unctuous texture and a fine tension provided by natural freshness. The finish, of impressive length, stretches out over noble, very elegant bitterness.

Serving and cellaring

This Tinus Marsanne Viognier "Plateau de l'Aigle" 2022 is wonderfully approachable in its youth, yet also has the structure needed to evolve favourably in the cellar. It can be enjoyed until around 2030.

The singular expression of a white wine from Les Tourettes

The estate

Acquired in 1997 by Jean-Marie Guffens and his wife Maine (Marie) Guffens-Heynen, Les Tourettes stands out for its unique philosophical approach, which favours human intelligence and meticulous work over mere terroir determinism. The current owners cultivate grape varieties that are atypical for the region, freeing themselves from the strict rules of the appellations to produce wines of great creative freedom, renowned for their technical excellence and deep respect for the environment.

The vineyard

Classified as Vin de France, the vineyard thrives on the "Plateau de l'Aigle", a high-altitude terroir peaking at around 400 metres. This privileged geographical position ensures optimal sunshine while benefiting from the cooling influence of the Mistral. The vines, around 25 years old and propagated from massal selections, are planted at a density of 5,500 vines per hectare on limestone-rich soils. The estate practises regenerative, natural viticulture without any chemical inputs, thereby promoting biodiversity and soil health.

The vintage

The 2022 vintage was marked by a warm growing season, with adequate water reserves. Flowering conditions were optimal, allowing the development of perfectly balanced berries that reached full ripeness.

Vinification and maturation

The grapes are harvested by hand at optimal phenolic ripeness. During pressing, only the free-run juice is kept for the Tinus Marsanne Viognier "Plateau de l'Aigle" 2022, ensuring great aromatic purity and limiting tannin extraction. Fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts during a brief three-month spell in oak barrels. The wine then continues its maturation in tulip-shaped concrete tanks, which encourage slow ageing before bottling.

Grape varieties

This wine is a blend of Marsanne and Viognier.