Ann Gros & Jean-Paul Tollot
Ann Gros & Jean-Paul Tollot
france • languedoc-roussillon
Southern French spirit, Burgundian soul. The partnership of Burgundian winemakers Anne Gros and Jean-Paul Tollot in the Minervois sets a new standard for quality and character in the Languedoc. Finesse and precision are the two main characteristics of these Minervois wines—words more often used to describe Gros’ Burgundian crus rather than the concentrated reds of the south.
Gros has for decades headed her own estate Vosne-Romanée; her partner, Jean-Paul, hails from the family estate of Tollot-Beaut in Chorey-lès-Beaune. The pair wanted to make wine together, but the question was where—and the search, over a few years, brought them to the high-altitude hills of Minervois.
The region’s varied terroir, cooler heights (the same altitude as Vosne-Romanée, curiously enough) and very old vines offered just the combination they wanted, for wines that speak of both the sun and of silk in every sip.
Vineyards are located in Cazelles, just north of Carcassonne and in the shadow of the Montagne Noir, in the hills where temperatures are cooler and terroir varied. The higher elevation—interestingly, the exact same elevation as in Vosne-Romanée—allows for grapes to ripen slowly, preserving their natural acidity and keeping alcohol in the finished wines moderate. One particular highlight of the estate is a walled plot of 100-year-old Carignan vines.
Vines are cared for according to “lutte raisonée” principles, following organic practices and avoiding chemical treatments as much as possible. Grapes are harvested by hand and fermented on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. Wines are aged, depending on the cru, in a combination of tank and older French oak barrique.
https://www.tollot-gros.com/en/home/
Wines We Carry
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