Georges Duboeuf built a name on Beaujolais, but the négociant house also works across the south, and this is Chardonnay from the flat, sun-heavy vineyards of the Languedoc. Pays d'Oc IGP is the catch-all appellation for that wide coastal belt, and it is where a great deal of France's varietal Chardonnay is grown.
- Chardonnay, unoaked in style, grown in the Languedoc.
- Pays d'Oc IGP, the south of France's varietal appellation.
- 2021, a cool and steady vintage across the region.
- 13% abv, medium body, dry, low tannin.
How it is made
Pays d'Oc IGP covers a broad sweep of Mediterranean France, from the Camargue up towards the Cévennes, and permits a long list of single varietals. Chardonnay is one of the most planted. The warm, sunny days and cool nights here push ripeness while keeping acid intact, which is why the wines tend to show ripe fruit and a clean line rather than the butter and toast of a barrel-fermented Burgundy.
How it tastes
Pear and fig up front, with pineapple and a grilled nut note underneath, then a discreet touch of honey and vanilla. On the palate it is medium in body and dry, with green apple, citrus and white peach running through to a mineral, crisp finish. Medium acidity keeps it lifted rather than soft.
Where it comes from
The Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest wine region in France by area, a Mediterranean strip running from the Rhône to the Spanish border. Its reputation was built on volume for most of the twentieth century; the shift to varietal, site-specific wines is more recent, and Pays d'Oc IGP was created to carry that work.
