A beautiful organic Gaillac white.

From 3 hectares of vines grown on clay-limetone soil, this energetic and organic Gaillac Blanc has a fresh, herbal nose with savoury and mineral notes and rich, round citrus flavours on the palate paired with gentle acidity.

Château de Rhodes is in the village of Boissel, close to Gaillac in South West France. The vineyards of the south-west are some of France’s most ancient and they are home to its most varied collection of indigenous grape varieties; not to mention a host of talented, sometimes extreme, organic winemakers enthralled by the possibilities that these unusual varieties present. Contrary to the expectations conjured up by these facts, proprietor Eric Lépine is anything but a hippy winemaker. He is an urbane ex-financier who used to play rugby for France!

In 2002, he bought this 20 hectare estate on some of the best vineyard land in Gaillac, covering three distinct terroirs: the terraces of the left bank of the River Tarn, the Cordais plateau, and the slopes of the right bank of the river where lies the château itself. His commitment to organics is a choice for the benefit of his family, as he believes it to be the most sustainable way to look after his land and it helps him to produce wines that are truly authentic. Eric also heads up The BIOboys, a group of like-minded, organic wine producers based in the south-west. The estate has been Ecocert certified organic since the 2011 vintage, and so no chemical treatments or fertilisers are used, yields are kept well below those permitted, and he vinifies his wines traditionally in concrete cuves using only natural yeasts. The reds receive 2 years’ ageing in cuve and the minimal addition of sulphur dioxide.

Native Gaillac varieties Loin de l'Oeil (full bodied and fruity with modest acidity), Mauzac Blanc (late ripening and crisp) and Ondenc (perfumed, full bodied and with high acidity) are machine harvested when ripe and are then fermented in concrete tanks to maintain cool temperatures (16°C) without malolactic fermentation. Since the 2011 harvest, Château de Rhodes has only worked with native yeasts to preserve the typicity of its terroir in its wines. A single filtration just before bottling retains the aromas and balance of the wine.

Great as an apéritif, or with seafood, white meats and soft cheeses.