Laurent Habrard Crozes-Hermitage Blanc

Laurent Habrard is a dynamic young producer based in the village of Gervans in the Northern Rhone. A 5th-generation winemaker, he works with 15 hectares of organically certified old vineyards in Crozes Hermitage and Hermitage. His holdings in the former are spread across the appellation, allowing him to create blends of great complexity.

He works with the bare minimum of sulphur and employs some very traditional methods including treading the grapes by foot which he believes gives the red wines softness and gentle, even extraction. The quality is superb across the board, with recent awards suggesting Laurent is a star of the future.

The winemaking process is carried out without any addition of sulphites until bottling. Daily punching-down of the cap is by foot and accompanied by pumping-over during alcoholic fermentation. Maceration takes 15 to 22 days in total. The wine is aged for 7 months before release; 20% in old barrels and the rest in stainless steel tanks and concrete vats.

Grape Varieties: 90% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne.

Farming Practices: Contains Sulfites – Organic

Tasting Notes: Aged seven months in stainless steel, the 2016 Crozes Hermitage Blanc is 90% Marsanne and 10% Roussanne. It offers decent complexity, with hints of honey, truffle and marshmallow coming together in a medium to full-bodied wine with a silky mouthfeel and a long finish.

Food Match: Ideal with poached salmon or blanquette de veau.

Sugar Level: 0.21g/l

Awards: DECANTER 88 points. Robert Parker – 90pts.

Closure: Natural Cork

Vintage: 2016