Boulevard Napoleon Le Pal Grenache Gris VdP de l'Herault 2022

Boulevard Napoleon Le Pal Grenache Gris VdP de l'Herault

Region: Languedoc, France

Vintage: 2022

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Grenache Gris

ABV: 14.5% 

A rich and supple wine with aromas of lime zest, white peach and subtle notes of hazelnut and smoke. The ageing in oak and on the lees gives this wine complexity and a great texture on the palate which is well-balanced with a mineral freshness and a bright, refreshing acidity, which lifts the finish.

The Grenache Gris is sourced from a single vineyard situated on stony terraces in the high hills of the cru La Livinière, in the Minervois region. Here, soils are predominantly sandstone and clay and the bush vines are on average 56 years old. Given the age of the vines, the resulting wines have superb concentration, definition and character.

Upon arrival at the winery, the hand harvested grapes were gently whole-bunch pressed. Fermentation took place in used French oak barrels, and lasted 3 weeks. This was followed by an 18 month maturation in French oak barrels of which 20% were new. The wine was lightly filtered before bottling.

As the co-founder of St. John, one of the world's most influential restaurants, Trevor Gulliver is a man of many enthusiasms. The house he bought in Minervois was intended as a place to unwind, but instead, Trevor saw an opportunity to exercise his natural curiosity and make some excellent wine. This decision was further cemented by the input of a talented local vigneron, who had just returned from running Michel Chapoutier’s Australian operations. The resulting project was named Boulevard Napoléon, after the street on which the house and winery are situated, in the village of La Livinière. This is a loving nod to St. John, which is also named after the street on which the original restaurant sits in Farringdon, London.