lavau
The story of the Lavau family, with its passion for wine and its love of the terroir and the land, began in Saint-Émilion in the 19th century. It continued in Tunisia where René Lavau and his son transformed a small estate of vines and orange trees into a flourishing business which became the country’s biggest wine producer. Jean-Guy Lavau (René’s grandson) and his wife Anne-Marie returned to France in the 1960s and took charge of a small winemaking cellar in Sablet at the heart of the Rhone Valley.
This would become the Maison LAVAU in 1965.
Some 30 years later, Frédéric and Benoît Lavau have joined the team at their family winery which has since become a renowned and respected name in Rhone Valley winemaking. They have secured the future of their winemaking business and completed and enhanced their expertise by becoming creators of cuvees and producers.
They have purchased several vineyards in the Rasteau, Valréas and Côtes du Rhône appellations and entered into partnership with the Château Maucoil in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
CÔTES DU RHÔNE
Location
This wine is derived from selected vineyards in the Vaucluse and Gard “departments” of France.
Terroir
Our whites are selected from vines growing in clay-limestone plains and hillsides.
Grape Variety
Grenache blanc (60%) Viognier (40%)
Production
After a light skin maceration, the grapes are pressed and placed in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. Fermentation is carried out at low temperature to preserve as much fruit as possible. Ageing also takes place in vats, on the fines lees, with no malolactic fermentation taking place, in order to preserve the crisp, crunchy character of this easy-drinking wine.
Tasting Notes
A lovely nose of peaches and pears with delicate anise overtones. Delicious on the palate with lovely fat, beautiful freshness and long-lingering aromas.
Tasting Tips
Serve between 12 and 14°C, not too cold, to enable the aromas to come through. Enjoy with a fish terrine, salmon tartare seasoned fish or even a mid-dry goat’s cheese.
LA DECELLE "LE CARRÉ"
Benoit and Frédéric Lavau discovered "La Decelle", a superb wine
domaine in the heart of the Enclaves des Popes in Valréas, in 2010.
The "Le Carré" wine comes from a 5 ha plot planted on a south-facing slope in the centre of the domaine. It has an exceptional quality potential, and its name makes reference to its geometry.
Grape Variety
Grenache 40% Syrah 60%
Production
“Le Carré” is only produced in exceptional years. After a long vinification, the wine is aged in new 228L and 450L barrels for 24 months. The best barrels of wine are then selected and blended to create “Le Carré”, of which only around 3,000 bottles are produced. This work of fine craftsmanship creates a robust Grenache and very elegant Syrahs, comparable to the great Syrahs of the northern Rhône Valley.
“Powerful and complex on the nose with roasted aromas combined with a touch of chocolate. Full and generous on the palate, meaty, lovely black fruit aromas underpinned by the same roasted notes” We recommend decanting “Le Carré” one hour before serving in order to appreciate its full character.
Tasting Notes
Complex nose of red fruit, marzipan, spices and candied fruit ….. notes of cocoa when the wine opens up. Full and fresh on the palate, with notes of strawberry jam and chocolate overtones. Soft, silky tannins with a long, fruity finish.
Ageing
24 months in new 228L and 450L French oak barrels.
ENVYFOL CHARDONNAY
Pays d'Oc
Grape Variety
100% Chardonnay
Yield
45 hl/ha
Vinification
Stainless steel tank (to preserve the varietal aromas)
Tasting Notes
Fresh nose of peach, pear, a hint of citrus, elegant and unctuous body, touch of almond, citrus.
