Laroque Cite De Carcassonne Chardonnay 750ml

Domaine Laroque (from the latin roqua) derives its name from the Menhirs (a single standing stone that dates back to the middle of the Bronze Age like Stonehenge) which are found on estate. During the Middle Ages, the estate belonged to the Bishop of Carcassonne, who was renowned for making the best wines in the region. Local legend has it that the devil, upset with the Bishop of Carcassonne for stealing his “clients,” tried to stone the Bishop with giant rocks. Following the attack, the Bishop constructed the fortress of Cazilhac with these Menhirs and marked the event by placing a cross on the last remaining Menhir. After this, processions were undertaken around this oratory and all the parcels of vines that surrounded it, including those of Domaine de Laroque, in order to ward off the devil.Today, Albert Sarail and his family own the estate and are making an easy–drinking wine that combines the structure, minerality, and dusty rose characteristics of Cabernet Franc with the lively, fruitiness of wines from the south of France. The Sarrail vineyards are situated in Cazilhac, at the foot of the city of Carcassonne, famous all over the world for its medieval city and the Canal du Midi, both classed as World Heritage sites by Unesco.Situated between the Pyrenees to the south and the Black Mountains to the north, Carcassonne enjoys a privileged climatic position where the excesses of the mediterranean climate are tempered by the softness of the Atlantic. This extraordinary mixture gives their wines a particular charm : “the aromatic elegance of the “grand crus” of the south west linked with the strength of Mediterranean wines”.