Varietal mix 100% Chardonnay

Maturing 25% new barrels

Tasting notes

A luminous pale yellow, La Capitelle de Baronarques white 2023 is remarkably precise and expressive, combining delicate oak on the nose with delightfully crisp white fruit such as apple and pear lifted by a hint of citrus fruit and a floral touch.
The immediately round and generous palate shows great brightness, while its soft and light texture is lifted by a touch of minerality, leaving an impression of refinement and freshness.

After a mild and relatively dry winter, especially in February, the vine growth cycle started early. Budbreak began on 20 March for the Chardonnay, in line with 2022. For the red grape varieties it occurred slightly later, from 5 to 13 April, after a cold snap at the beginning of the month which brought some frost, though our plots remained unaffected. Flowering started in late May for the Chardonnay and early June for the Cabernet Sauvignon in almost tropical conditions, as 180mm aggregate rainfall over the two months was compounded by very warm weather, especially in June. These conditions spurred the spread of mildew, causing some crop loss, mainly of Merlot grapes. A north-west wind then settled in, halting the spread of mildew and keeping the crop healthy until harvest. The weather in July and early August was somewhat cooler, so that veraison occurred rather later and lasted longer than usual. Temperatures subsequently rose above 43° C in the shade over a four-day period during a heatwave from 17 to 24 August. However, water reserves in the soil ensured that the vines got enough water, avoiding the kind of adverse hydric stress that can halt the maturing process.

Hot weather and low rainfall in September made for small grapes, reducing yields for red grape varieties. The white-grape harvest took place from 29 August to 8 September and the red-grape harvest from 12 September to 4 October, all in perfect conditions.