Tasting Notes
Chateau des Tourettes is the third project by Jean-Marie Guffens who is the man behind famed Macon estate Guffens-Heynen and negociant project Maison Verget. This wine is Guffens flexing the quality of fruit coming off this limestone rich site in Luberon that in his mind produces wine that are Grand Cru level.
This is a rich, powerful and dense expression of Chardonnay that spends 8 months in oak (25% new) before further ageing in concrete vats. It's flinty, buttery and toasty on the nose and is very expressive. This carries on to the palate where you get layers of buttered popcorn, flint, smoke, oak spice, orchard fruits and and roasted nuts. It was quite a revelation to try something like this coming from Luberon and I've been thinking about the wine ever since I tried it. - Pete L
Château des Tourettes is the Luberon estate of Guffens-Heynen, the celebrated Burgundy domaine of Jean-Marie Guffens and Maine Heynen. The couple established themselves in the Mâconnais in the late 1970s before purchasing Château des Tourettes, near Apt in Provence, in 1997. The high-altitude vineyards and limestone-rich soils immediately appealed to Guffens, offering the combination of southern sunshine and cool conditions needed to produce wines with both concentration and freshness.
The estate works with varieties including Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache and Syrah, often picking and vinifying individual parcels separately before blending. As with Guffens-Heynen, the approach is meticulous and unconventional, with late harvesting, long pressing and careful élevage playing an important role. The wines have the richness and generosity of southern France, but with remarkable acidity, precision and mineral drive - unmistakably carrying the Guffens signature.
| Product Type | Wine White Chardonnay |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence |
| Sub Region | Luberon |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |