Haut-Montravel

France · AOC · South-West

Styles

Natural factors

Substratum: "astéries" limestone (Stampian sea), overlaid by the molasses of the Agenais and then the white limestone of the Aquitanian.
Three soil types: clay-limestone (over Castillon, astéries, and Aquitanian formations), silty-clay boulbènes over molasse, and sandy-clay valley soils.
A narrow tabular plateau framed by the valleys of the Lidoire and the Dordogne; south-facing slopes planted to vine, small valleys reserved for pasture.
Oceanic climate (approximately 100 km from the Atlantic): mild springs and autumns, early budburst, late leaf fall. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Landais forest to the north and the Dordogne valley to the south generate high autumn humidity, encouraging the development of botrytis.

Human factors

The legal distinction between Côtes-de-Montravel and Haut-Montravel (right and left banks of the Estrop) was settled by the Bergerac tribunal in 1922. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Production of sweet white wines by successive manual tries, a practice championed by a group of growers over the past fifteen or so years.

Product characteristics

Sweet white wines with aromas of stewed and candied fruit and honey notes, produced from grapes affected by botrytis cinerea through successive tries.
Fermentable sugar content above 85 g/L, total potential alcohol above 14.5% abv, with no enrichment: wines suited to extended ageing.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.