Milan Le Grande Blanc 2016 (750 ml)

Grapes: Grenache Blanc, Rolle, Roussane, Chardonnay, Muscat Petit Grains

Soil: Clay, blue marl on limestone 

Winemaking: Fermentation without sulfites in cement vats with its native yeasts present naturally on the skin of the grapes and in the cellar

From the Producer: ‘Grand Blanc’ is a wine of great freshness. Fragrances of fennel and notes of garrigue dominate on the nose and on the palate, with a long, stony finish that affirms its minerality.

A blended cuvée: Grenache Blanc, Rolle, Roussane, Chardonnay, Muscat Petits Grains. From 24-year-old vines, grown on clay soils with limestone scree and a subsoil of blue marl. Manual harvest. Vinification: direct pressing, with indigenous yeasts, no fining or filtering, and SO2 added only after malolactic fermentation. A very long aging for this vintage: 18 months in barrels that have seen several wines and almost four years in vats!! Bottled at the Estate with a tiny dose of sulphur.

Nestled at the foothills of Les Alpilles the story of Domaine Milan started in 1955. In 1986, Henri Milan took over with the ambition of making the best possible wine with respect to the environment. The Domain includes 10 ha planted with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache Blanc, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Rolle, Muscat.

In the mid 90’s his encounter with Claude Bourguignon (famous microbiologist) and Claude Courtois (Domaine Les Cailloux du Paradis) helped and convinced him to further enhance the identity of his great terroir and ameliorate his winemaking.

Since 2000, Henri has made wine based on their origins blue marl on limestone and yellow sandstone. The reds such Le Papillon or Le CLOS have gained in elegance and freshness thanks to shorter macerations with whole clusters and natural vinification. The famous cuvee Grand Blanc, his blend of all his white grapes, shows more tension and salinity. 

Since 2014, Théo, Henri's son, and his wife Nathalie have joined the estate and brings a new lease of life, crafting elegant wines, using no chemicals, no additives, no commercial yeasts and, in some cases, no added sulphur.