Cave de Tain Saint Peray Blanc ‘Fleur du Roc’ 2018

Unashamedly rich and complex with exuberant apricot and peach fruit. There are myriad overtones of brioche, roasted nuts, ginger, vanilla and camomile. A delicious streak of flinty minerality keeps all the unctuous richness in check and gives an overall impression of a beautifully constructed and balanced white wine.

94% Marsanne
6% Rousanne

Production notes: The 65-hectare appellation Saint Péray is situated in the Northern Côtes-du-Rhône, right bank, just south of Cornas. Saint Péray benefits from a continental climate with Mediterranean influence. The soil is composed of granite, chalk and clay. Grapes are selected from old vines, with some vines over 60 years old. Fermentation is in both oak and cuve with the malo all in wood followed by 12 months ageing in 400l barrels 25% new.

Cave de Tain is a dynamic and forward-thinking co-operative, proud of its sustainability programme and a certified member of Vignerons en Développement Durable since 2009. Natural means of improving vine health such as épillonnage and pheromone sprays to disrupt insect pests’ breeding patterns are employed, and they are committed to using organic viticultural practices wherever possible. This also serves to increase the biodiversity of the vineyards, further boosting vine health, reducing the need for chemical phytosanitary treatments and improving the quality of the fruit.

They work to reduce their carbon footprint by utilising natural sources of energy, e.g. by fitting farms with solar panels, by the methanisation of grape marc to generate electricity, and by grinding up and composting the vine prunings instead of burning them so as to improve the quality of the soil and to hold onto the carbon trapped within them. Currently, up to 75% of their production waste is recycled, rainwater is captured for use on the estates, and a collective “river contract” has been drawn up to prevent the pollution of the local groundwater. Water usage in the cellar has been reduced by 90% simply by re-examining all of the ways in which it is used.