Palette Blanc Château Simone 2021

The Palette Blanc signed Château Simone is a fine white wine from Provence that stands out for its elegance and longevity, being able to age quietly for up to 20 years if properly stored. At the helm of the winery are the Rougiers, a family that in the distant 1830s took over the château, which had long belonged to the monks of Grands Carmes d'Aix, establishing itself as a point of reference for the region's wines and contributing like no other to the area's oenological success. In fact, thanks to Jean Rougier, ancestor of the current owners, the AOC Palette was recognised in 1948, the appellation under which the production of Château Simone is still labelled today.

The Palette Blanc Château Simone comes from a blend of Clairette (80%), Grenache Blanc (10%), Bourboulenc (5%), Ugni Blanc (3%) and Muscat Blanc (2%) grapes, varieties cultivated without the use of insecticides and chemical herbicides. These are very old vineyards, on average over 50 years old but with some plots exceeding a century in age, planted mainly on north-facing hillsides and characterised by a high presence of limestone in the soil. When the grapes have reached full ripeness, they are harvested by hand, combined with double sorting, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. After crushing and soft pressing, the must obtained undergoes spontaneous alcoholic fermentation at a controlled temperature, a process followed by ageing in small oak barrels, containers in which the wine stays for a total of 18 months, 6 of which are spent on the fine lees. This is followed by a further 12 months of maturation in large casks before final bottling.

Château Simone Palette Blanc is golden yellow in colour. The broad olfactory mosaic is composed of elegant hints of apricot, chamomile flowers, jammy citrus, honey and iodine that combine with cereal nuances and notes of vanilla and almond. The taste, initially restrained, soon reveals power and intensity, but always maintaining an impeccable elegance, with a fresh and savoury progression that lingers for minutes.