A fortified Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois from Clos du Gravillas, Nicole and John Bojanowski's take on the appellation they call home, made from late-harvested Muscat a Petits Grains and fortified with grape spirit to stop the fermentation at natural sweetness.
Tasting Notes
Golden in the glass. Floral and fruity on the nose, with pineapple, ripe stone fruit, roses, and a refreshing citrus tang underneath. The finish has a clean, refreshing lift that stops it being heavy. Nicole says: "Chill it and guzzle it." She's right.
Quick Facts
- Grape: Muscat a Petits Grains
- Origin: France, Languedoc, Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois AOC
- Style: Fortified sweet wine (vin doux naturel), Ecocert certified organic
- Winemaking: Late hand harvest, pelliculaire maceration, cold settling, indigenous yeast fermentation in stainless steel, fortified with grape spirit (mutage sur marc) at 125g/l residual sugar, 9 months in stainless steel, 15% alcohol
Food Pairing
An aperitif on its own, or with strawberries, fruit, savoury tarte tatins, and Roquefort toasts. Delightful, versatile, and endlessly drinkable.
Serving
Serve well chilled at 6-8°C. This is one wine that genuinely improves in the fridge.
About the Producer
Clos du Gravillas is the project of Nicole and John Bojanowski, a Franco-American couple who purchased their 8-hectare estate in Saint-Jean-de-Minervois in 1996. Perched on a limestone and gravel plateau at almost 300 metres altitude, between the Saint Chinian and Minerve canyons, they farm organically with a focus on biodiversity and soil health. John's background in ecology shapes the estate's philosophy, and they work with 18 different grape varieties, including many ancient and forgotten Languedoc varieties. Long associated with the natural wine movement, Clos du Gravillas is distributed by Les Caves de Pyrene and found on some of the world's finest restaurant lists.
