Perle Rare Grenache Gris

In this wine, I accidentally recreated the traditional style of white wine that was made in the area from the early 1900s. It was custom for growers in the village to keep a barrel of wine in their cellar which would be topped up every year and used for personal consumption and cooking. In 2009 I had a barrel of grenache gris that was far too oaky and so I left it in the corner of the winery topping it up occasionally. Four years later the wine had transformed into a complex, slightly oxidised wine which I adored and bottled. For a couple of years, I bottled a barrel per vintage and called it simply Blanc Barrique aka ‘Sleeping Beauty’ but now I feel the wine has its place at the very top of my range and I have renamed it La Perle Rare blanc. To maintain consistency in the style I have 3 barrels in the winery from different vintages and regularly top up the oldest vintage with the younger wines. La Perle Rare blanc therefore is non- vintage but will include wines that have spent at least 3 years in oak. I still only produce 1 barrel per year so 300 bottles making it my rarest wine!