Olivier Cazenave Echappée Bel Blanc NV (750ml)

70% Muscadelle, 30% Semillon
Fermentation Stainless steel, Pied de cuve
Aging 9 months
Filter / Fining #3 plate filter, None
Total Sulfur / RS 65 mg/l, 1 g/l
Farming Methods Organic (Eco cert)
ABV 12.5%

Echappée Bel Blanc is a young and fresh expression of both Semillon and Muscadelle, which Olivier is extremely passionate about. The fruit is harvested from 40-year-old vines on clay and limestone soils and undergoes a very cold but short maceration to enhance the aromatics and texture of the finished wine. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks with a strong fermenting natural pied de cuve from the first grapes harvested, for approximately 15 days, but it does not go through malolactic fermentation. After fermentation, the wine remains on its lees for at least 9 months before bottling. Although it typically comes from a single harvest, the wine is not vintage dated. The resulting wine is crisp, aromatic, and purely mineral, with notes of crisp apples, tangerine, Meyer lemon, and wet rock. In the mouth, the wine has a fresh texture, vibrant lime and green apple flavors, and a stony and lengthy minerality that truly showcases the grape.

Biodynamics is truly an adventure where our conception of the rational and the explicable must evolve and expand towards other influences, those of the cosmos, but also by considering that everything around us is alive and communicated. - Olivier

Chateau de Bel is the idyllic estate that houses the visionary project and wines of ‘Vins Olivier Cazenave.’ Olivier and his wife Anne married in 2003, the same year they embarked on their lifelong dream of buying a rustic piece of property and a home on the picturesque edge of the Dordogne River, with a promise to create an estate and wines that are truly distinct from others. Their commitment to humility and common sense has led them to a place where the wines express their vivacious personality, endless creativity, and pure expression of terroir, all the while being fully dedicated to organic and biodynamic farming since 2016. Starting with just 4.5 hectares, they have expanded over the years by acquiring small neighboring plots, and now farm around 8 hectares of vines, producing about 60,000 bottles annually through their various labels, appellations, and diverse projects. Olivier has a deep passion for Muscadelle and aims to expand wine drinkers' palates with this grape, while also showcasing his special ability to allow Merlot and Cabernet Franc to sing in unique and novel ways compared to his regional counterparts. The cellar is compact, the process is meticulous, and the focus is on crafting exceptional yet unpretentious Bordeaux for the world to rediscover anew. 

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