2019 Sextant Clin d’Oeil

Every year Julien Altaber seems to find new things to invent, depending upon the grapes that his biodynamic friends have to sell him.
This year (2019) he has again made a cuvée which is macerated Chardonnay (80%) for around ten days (it was Viognier last year) with some (20%) direct press Gamay. The grapes are grown in calcareous clay soils. The wine is stored in fibreglass tanks for around 5 months to settle. This is an absolutely amazing example of an orange (skin contact) wine. It tastes fresh and vibrant, but it also displays everything that people love about skin contact wines including soft, interesting tannins and other polyphenols and even a tiny bit of appealing bitterness at the back of the palate.