Domaine de la Touraize Arbois Poulsard 'La Cabane' 2023

“La Cabane” (“the shack”) comes from 1.2-ha. of Poulsard in two parcels: the blue marl of Curoulet planted in the early 1980s, and the grey marl of La Touraize planted in the early 1960s. The bunches are hand-harvested and de-stemmed by hand. The fruit is transferred by gravity to stainless steel, where it incurs carbonic maceration for two weeks before pressing. The wine spends six months in large old oak barrels before being bottled without filtration, and with just 10-mg/L of added sulfur. Remarkably pure-fruited and ethereal, “La Cabane” clocks in under 12% alcohol (A-J never chaptalizes) yet expresses immense mineral depth. In its gorgeous translucent hue, its soaring aromas of citrus zest and red apples, and its light yet persistent palate, it embodies the uniqueness of this beloved indigenous variety.