Domaine Milan, Le Grand Blanc, 2018

Complex, Rich, Full

Provence / White / Grenache Blanc, Chardonnay, Rolle,  Roussane, Muscat a Petits Grains / Organic 

A blend of many white varieties, the wine spends a year in old oak barrel and then a year in stainless steel. A wine that changes as you work your way through it, displaying each grape in turn. This is still a a baby but put away for a few years you will see how this wine develops. Brilliant winemaking, brilliant winery, and a brilliant wine. Enjoy.

Notes on the producer

Domaine Milan was created in 1956 by Robert Milan, Henri's father. It was here that Henri planted his first vine at the age of eight. Back then, the land was used for conventional farming methods. This was one of the big changes that were heralded when Henri took over in 1984. The land had been spoiled by excessive synthetic chemical treatments during the 1970s and early 1980s, so it was at this point the younger Milan moved towards organic production. Labelling wines as Vin De France does not allow producers to display the vintage of a wine on its label, which is why you will note Roman numerals on the bottle of Domaine Milan VDF instead. It could be said that this rebelliousness is typical of Henri Milan. He broke away from Baux De Provence AOC so that he could have more freedom to produce the wines he wanted to make. Since 2014, 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. The domain is located near Alpilles, famous for one former frequent visitor Vincent Van Gogh. The only chemical treatment used during the entire process of growth and vinification is a small amount of sulphur dioxide, which is added, on some rare occasions, during bottling. Fermentation begins through the use of indigenous yeasts found naturally on the skins of the grapes, which are harvested manually.