Domaine Lafage, Côté d'Est

Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Farming: Practicing organic, certified sustainable
Grape varieties: Grenache Blanc (50%), Chardonnay (30%), Roussanne, Marsanne, or Rolle (20%)

Côté Est, as the name suggests, comes from vineyards planted on the gentle slopes facing the Mediterranean just a few kilometers inland from the sea. Benefiting from the thermal breezes that refresh these vineyards every afternoon in the summer – which preserves a high level of natural acidity in the grapes – this is a lively blend of old vine Grenache Blanc (50%) with Chardonnay (30%) and Roussanne, Marsanne, or Rolle (20%) – depending on which variety Eric and Jean-Marc feel most compliments the Grenache and Chardonnay. Floral and aromatic, it is an excellent example of the open and friendly whites you can find all along the Catalan coast, from Perpignan to the Penedès.