Benjamin Taillandier Blanc VDT 2023

Country: France

Region: Languedoc

Type: White Wine

Grape: Grenache Blanc/Grenache Gris/Terret Gris

In 2007 Benjamin Taillandier settled in his family’s hometown of Caunes-Minervois, which sits between the ancient city of Carcassonne and The Montagne Noire. He purchased 5.7 hectares of Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsault, Terret Gris and began working it organically, eventually converting all of it over to biodynamics. Each year he added a plot to his estate and now he works 9.5 hectares all by hand and now fully Ecocert certified. He also runs a wine bar downtown called Cantine du Curé.

Benjamin feels that many of the wines in the Minervois AOC are too concentrated and alcoholic, and works hard to make wines that are lighter, fresher, and lower in alcohol than most average wines from the Languedoc. There is a level of liveliness in his wines that you seldom see in the wines of the region, and Benjamin is  happily introducing people to the concept of Minervois “vin de soif”.

Organic/biodynamic farming. Hand-harvested fruit. Direct press of grapes, fermentation in oak with native yeasts, followed by 6 months of aging in oak. Unfined and unfiltered, with minimal added sulfur. Fresh minerality runs through this lightweight wine, made using a combination of old and new oak, and ripe fruit. Creamy, with medium acidity and a beautiful, long finish.