The origin lies on the southern slopes of the Montagne Noire, a wilder part of Southern France with a significant influence on the wine's style.
- Location / Origin: Clos Labade is located in the Montagne Noire, the southern part of the old Massif Central, where the hills descend towards the plain of Carcassonne between Toulouse and the Mediterranean Sea. This places this wine within the broader Pays d'Oc of Southern France, but with a distinct landscape context.
- Soil: The soils are poor, very dry, and well-draining, with clay as a base and a high proportion of schist. Such lean soils inhibit the growth vigor of the vines and help preserve the freshness and precision of the fruit.
- Climate & Influences: This part of the Montagne Noire is warm and sunny, with a Mediterranean-influenced climate that allows the grapes to ripen well. At the same time, the hilly structure provides more tension than one would expect from a flatter, hotter area.
- Landscape: The slopes are covered with old oaks and garrigue, the typical scrubland of Southern France. This emphasizes the dry, stony, and sun-drenched character of this origin.
The cellar approach here is deliberately focused on freshness, pure fruit, and a direct style without unnecessary embellishments.
- Harvest & Selection: The harvest is done entirely by hand, and the grapes are completely destemmed. This provides more control over the quality of the fruit and a cleaner base for vinification.
- Fermentation: After direct pneumatic pressing, a cold maceration of the must takes place at 8 °C, followed by fermentation at a maximum of 18 °C. This cool method keeps the citrus aromas prominent and preserves the wine's natural freshness.
- Aging: After fermentation, the wine is bottled directly. This keeps the style light-footed, bright, and distinctly focused on fresh fruit.
Here, everything revolves around one grape that shows a fresh and approachable side in this sunny origin.
- Chardonnay – Pays d’Oc: Chardonnay forms the complete base here and gives the wine its citrus-driven attack, supple texture, and clean, dry finish.
