This is one of the most exciting whites I have tasted in the past couple of years. One of the wonderful things about being a buyer at The Wine Society is that we can offer members wines from lesser-known corners of the wine world. Few companies have more than a handful of customers willing to explore more obscure wines, but The Society has scores of curious wine lovers thirsty to discover delicious fine wines from off the beaten track, like this outstanding Pacherenc du Vic Bilh 2024.
Offer closes midday, Tuesday 1st September
I first encountered the wines of Domaine Laougué last year, shortly after taking over buying responsibilities for southern France. Talion is the name of one of the highest peaks in the Pyrenees, and the Cuvée Talion Pacherenc from Sylvain Dabadie is one of the great wines of the appellation, made with the fruit of a vineyard with a majestic view of the snow-capped Pyrenees.
The 2024 Talion cuvée is a blend of 60% petit corbu and 40% petit manseng, vinified using indigenous yeasts and aged in new French oak barrels for 15 months. The result is a gloriously intense, crystalline wine with a citrus and brioche bouquet and texture reminiscent of a fine white Burgundy. The 2024 vintage is particularly good, and while it can be broached now, it will evolve in a positive direction for several years to come.
