Altugnac Les Turitelles Chardonnay

The vineyards sit in the Haute Vallée de l'Aude at 300 to 500 meters, on limestone rich soils shaped by Atlantic and Pyrenean influences in southwestern France, with cool nights under a Mediterranean climate tempered by the ocean. The soils carry a story worth telling at the table, they are rich in fossilized marine limestone known as turritelles, which give the wine its name and a distinct mineral signature. Turritella are spiral sea snails, a reminder that this mountain land was once seabed. The winemaking is deliberately simple. The fruit is almost entirely hand harvested, then fermented and aged in stainless steel with full malolactic conversion to keep freshness and varietal clarity front and center. The aim is moderate alcohol, natural acidity, and site expression rather than the warm, broad style often associated with Pays d'Oc.
In the glass this Chardonnay is a pale gold color with a silvery glint, aromas of ripe pear, white peach, and citrus blossom, a hint of hazelnut, and chalky minerality. The palate brings juicy stone fruit and lemon cream, balanced by bright acidity and a cool, saline edge. Long, pure, and poised, it reads as white Burgundy by way of the Pyrenees. A wine that tastes like altitude, limestone, and ancient seas.