Wine of the Week: Château de Selle 2021 | Domaines Ott, France

By The Wine Merchant

Côtes de Provence | September 20, 2024

Domaines Ott was founded in 1912 by Alsatian engineer Marcel Ott. Today, the wineries are owned and managed by Champagne Louis Roederer, producing some of the world’s most prestigious wines. These wines are made at three distinctively different estates: Château Romassan (Bandol), Clos Mireille and Château de Selle (both Côtes de Provence).

Château de Selle is located in the Côtes de Provence appellation, located inland on limestone hillsides, enjoying abundant sunshine. The proportion of stone in the soil is 40 to 50 percent, making it an arid soil and, despite the presence of some extremely fertile clay deposits, yields are low.

Château de Selle covers an area of 345 acres, of which 160 acres are planted. Year after year, the cultivated area of the estate wins over part of the rocky terrain. The earth is mechanically tilled while retaining a natural balance, the original proportion of stone being maintained after crushing. The crushing process is carried out on a yearly basis.

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Origin: Provence, France
Appellation: Côtes de Provence
Varietal: 55% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah
Price: $120 for 1.5l
ABV: 13.5%

The 2021 vintage of Château de Selle from Domaines Ott, composed of 55% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 10% Mourvèdre, and 5% Syrah, reflects a harmonious blend of varietals that culminates in a wine of remarkable freshness and depth

The wine presents itself with a delicate, pale pearly pink hue. On the nose, it is precise and mineral-driven, unveiling a bouquet of peaches, apricots, and vanilla, underscored by passion fruit and a hint of lime peel. The palate opens with a refreshing attack, evolving into rich yellow fruit aromas that grow in intensity. It is perfectly balanced, finishing with a slightly minty, saline, and zesty finale.

Food Pairing: It pairs well with flambéed or glazed monkfish with vegetables, grilled poultry in a sauce, or fruit desserts.

Harvest Notes
A balmy autumn was followed by an equally mild winter. It was the time for manuring the soils and butting up the vines. After enjoying their rest, the vines stirred into life again with a classic budburst in early spring. On the night of April 8th, some of the vines were hit by frost. But nature surprised the wine makers by allowing new buds to emerge and bear fruit. The spring was rainy, and the start of the flowering was late. The summer was hot, as it has been for almost 10 years, with heatwaves of varying duration and intensity. On August 19th, harvest began with the first bunches of Grenache.

For more information, visit Domaines Ott official website.