Didier Grappe Traminer Champ Rouge 2022

Didier Grappe farms in the Jura, in eastern France, and works his vines biodynamically before making wine with as little intervention as possible. This Champ Rouge comes from Traminer, the aromatic parent of Gewürztraminer, grown on the region's grey and blue marl soils that hold water through the summer and lend the wine its saline cut. A cool continental climate with wide day to night temperature shifts preserves acidity and slows ripening, keeping the aromatics fresh rather than heavy. Grappe ferments with wild yeasts and adds no sulphur, so the wine is bottled honest and unpolished, then sealed under screw cap to protect that freshness. The result is deeply aromatic without being sweet. The colour is bright straw. The nose is loud with pineapple, mango and white peach, backed by rose petal, orange peel and a trace of ginger. The palate is dry and textured, the tropical fruit carried by firm acidity to a savoury, mineral close. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a generous glass. It suits lightly spiced dishes, roast chicken and grilled white fish, where its perfume balances warmth and richness.