Autumn is nearly upon us and as August (almost) turns to September, db looks at the first of the new hors Bordeaux offerings from La Place. Colin Hay reports. They come from Baron Philippe de Rothschild’s Domaine de Baronarques and will be offered with an ‘open market’ distribution in all countries excluding Japan and the United Kingdom, through an extensive pool of some 27 négociants (amongst them the stars of the hors Bordeaux market). This is Domaine de Baronarques’ second release on La Place with an open market distribution, though the wines have been sold through La Place since 2005. Domaine de Baronarques is an historic domain, dating from the mid-16th century when it was known as Domaine de Lambert and was owned by the nearby Abbey of Saint-Polycarpe. It is located in the appellation of Limoux in the Aude department of Southern France. The estate itself is 110 hectares. However, only 43 hectares are under vine and they form an essentially single block. But don’t be deceived. This is a veritable patchwork of very different terroirs and micro-climates, ranging in altitude (from around 250 to 350 metres) and varying in exposition, wind currents and soil types. At the same time, the entire vineyard is profoundly influenced by its almost unique combination of Atlantic and Mediterranean climatic influences and by its proximity to the Pyrenees – shaping very significantly the circulation of air and contributing to the inherent freshness of these wines despite their essentially southern location. Crucial to this is that
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Fine Wine
