An unusual skin-contact Muscat a Petits Grains from the high limestone plateau of Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, given three weeks on its skins to build texture and complexity while keeping the grape's signature floral aromatics alive.
Tasting Notes
Pale amber-gold. The nose carries white flowers, citrus, and fresh Muscat aromas alongside a gentle grip from skin contact. On the palate it is dry and textural, with a savoury freshness and clean tannins — a fascinating opposite to the Douce Providence from the same grape. Where that one is lush and sweet, this one is taut and saline.
Quick Facts
- Grape: Muscat a Petits Grains
- Origin: France, Languedoc, Saint-Jean-de-Minervois (southwest exposure, white limestone gravel)
- Style: Dry skin-contact white, Ecocert certified organic
- Winemaking: Manual harvest, 3 weeks skin maceration (mostly in steel, 20% in barrel after first week), indigenous yeast, 8 months in steel and ceramic egg, light filtration, no fining
Food Pairing
Fish soup, dishes with coriander, mushrooms, bacon, and melted cheese. One of the more versatile orange wines for food.
Serving
Serve at 10-12°C. This wine opens beautifully with 15 minutes in the glass.
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.
