Description
La Colombière’s Solaire cuvée is a true UFO (Unidentified Wine Object): just 200 bottles a year! … It is a solera (in the Andalusian style) produced since 2015 from Bouysselet, a grape variety native to Villaudric. With no natural yeast cap or sulphite protection, this wine has oxidised slowly in its 400-litre barrel. The nose is absolutely wild: a blend of ripe citrus, dried fruit and a hint of mint. On the palate, it is fruity, savoury and mouth-watering, balancing complexity with delicacy, whilst retaining freshness and tension, with a lovely salinity on the finish. A truly great wine whose originality will work wonders with quality cured meats, hard cheeses or dishes featuring mild spices (ginger, lemon pepper).
A brief history of Bouysselet
Descended from the Jura Savagnin and the Béarn Plant de Cauzette, one already expects a grape variety with a strong personality! It was originally called Prunelard Blanc, due to its ampelographic resemblance to its black Gaillac counterpart. It is now being revived at Château La Colombière. Thanks to the unique grafting work carried out on 0.7 hectares in 2011, followed by 1 hectare in 2015. It is produced from prunings from a pre-phylloxera, ungrafted Villaudric plot, grafted onto a 15-year-old Négrette plot. Philippe and Diane Cauvin are embarking on this new white wine venture in the land of Négrette. Already coveted by the Fronton winemakers and awaiting official registration in the register of forgotten old grape varieties. They have named it ‘Le Grand B.’ to pay tribute to it and to spark the curiosity of enthusiasts of rare grape varieties on the brink of oblivion.
In the vineyard, in the cellar
Technical details of the Solaire de la Colombière cuvée:
- Grape variety / Lineage: 100% Bouysselet Blanc de Villaudric. Descendant of Savagnin (Jura) and Plant de Cauzette (Béarn). Re-listed in the official catalogue in 2018.
- Area / Average age of vines: 0.7 ha – from grafting onto 40-year-old vines + 1 ha of young massal-selected vines
- Soil: Siliceous gravel and red clay.
- Cultivation: Organic – biodynamic
- Vinification: Hand-harvested, vatting by gravity. Pressing and transfer to 400-litre barrels. Natural vinification. Malolactic fermentation. Aged in perpetual barrels. 1 old 400-litre barrel topped up for 7 years with 7 different vintages (2020, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014) and so on…
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What to eat with the Solaire de la Colombière?
- High-quality cured meats
- White meats in a creamy sauce
- Hard cheeses
- Dishes with mild spices (ginger, lemon pepper)
