Tasting notes:
Domaine Boutinot ‘La Fleur Solitaire’ Blanc. Fresh, medium-bodied, vinous. The nose is pretty and delicate, with a waft of fennel tops and hints of hedgerow flowers. The flavours are nuanced and refined rather than overt. Careful use of oak adds texture and structure without masking the freshness of this very drinkable white.
Food match:
A lovely aperitif, and delicious with lighter dishes such as grilled asparagus drizzled with olive oil and toasted almonds or a goats cheese salad. Fish and chicken are a perfect partner; especially grilled halibut or cod, or a creamy chicken dishes such as the French Poulet à l’Estragon (chicken in a tarragon sauce).
Producer/Region: Domaine Boutinot ‘La Fleur Solitaire’ Blanc
Boutinot’s love affair with the Southern Rhône spans thirty years of making wine in the region. In 2010, the relationship was sealed with the purchase of a winery and vineyards above the village of Cairanne. Domaine Boutinot’s seven vineyards are planted with classic southern Rhône grape varieties – old vine Grenache Noir and Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan Noir – and they all sit within the Cairanne Cru boundaries, sanctioned in 2016 when Cairanne was granted its own appellation status.
Working with their vigneron neighbours they are helping to revive traditional grape varieties such as Cinsault and Counoise, and in the cellar they prefer time-honoured winemaking methods such as a long cuvasion aided only by natural yeasts, gentle remontage, manual pigeage and patient maturation in a nursery of French oak barrels.
In July 2021 Domaine Boutinot Rhône achieved the Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE 3) certification This certification recognises a high level of commitment to protecting and enriching the environment with the focus on biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategy, management of fertiliser use and management of water.
Following an experiment with a micro cuvée crafted from seven barrels back in 2009, they now source grapes from selected vineyards in the southern Rhône. Each parcel is picked separately in the cooler early daylight hours for gentle pressing that same morning, and each is fermented at a low temperature. To a base of Grenache Blanc, they blend Viognier along with co-fermented pairs of Roussanne/Marsanne and Bourboulenc/Clairette. Over the years they have increased the proportion vinified in stainless steel, with just under a third of the wine now vinified and matured for 6 months French oak barrels (mostly 3rd fill but some new) to add complexity and creaminess.
