£8.99, Majestic
Now that summer seems finally to have arrived in the UK, my Wine of the Week is a sunny Viognier from the south of France – all orange blossom fragrance, juicy white-peach fruit, downy soft texture and buoyant freshness. And it’s off-dry, not bone-dry, making for simple, easygoing deliciousness.
The fleurs sauvages of the name is the wild flora bordering the vineyards that Abbotts & Delaunay are careful to preserve and the vines themselves are 10 years old and planted at 150–200m asl on pebbly, limestone hillsides in the south of the Minervois.
The winemaking is aimed at keeping freshness and varietal character, so there’s no oak – just cool fermentation in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation and then a few months' ageing on lees.
The Delaunay behind the company is Laurent, fifth generation of a family of Burgundy wine producers, who, having established the successful Abbotts & Delaunay in Languedoc, has now revitalised with great aplomb the family company Edouard Delaunay in Burgundy. He’s also the current chairman of the BIVB, the Burgundy Wine Board.
This is a perfect stand-alone white wine for sipping on the balcony, in the garden, by the pool or on a picnic, but you could also drink it with simple, lightly seasoned food such as a courgette and ricotta tart, salads devoid of sharp dressings and summery seafood or chicken.
Abbots & Delaunay Les Fleurs Sauvage Viognier 2022, Pays d’Oc, France
£8.99 in any 6-bottle mix, £11.99 singly, Majestic
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