Big Beltie Sauvignon Blanc

Fredéric Garrabou

Vivid lemon-green in colour. On the nose there are delicate aromas of lemon blossom, green apple and grapefruit. The taste is very refreshing, crisp and dry. The finish explodes with citrus fruit and lingers in your mouth. Beautifully straightforward and focused.

Enjoy on its own or with a lemon and fennel risotto or warm goats' cheese salad

The vineyards are located in Southwest France surrounded by the mountains of the Massif Central and the Pyrenees. The climate is sunny and warm with Mediterranean influences coming from the east, but softened by the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The Côtes de Gascogne area is home to a wide range of terroirs, allowing countless potential of indigenous varietals from the region. The winemaking process for the Big Beltie Sauvignon Blanc is all about preserving and enhancing the harvested grapes freshness and aroma. Grapes are collected early in the morning while temperatures are low. They undergo a cold soaking to extract their beautiful aroma, before they are put through a pneumatic press in order to preserve the grape quality. The deposit from the must is filtered and added to the pressed juice which enhances the expression of primary aroma characteristics. The alcoholic fermentation is slow using low temperatures in stainless steel tanks followed by 4 months ageing on fine lees before bottling.

Brian Elliott, March 2025, Daily Record: "South West France has developed a great reputation for the lovely, distinctive wines being produced from its indigenous grape varieties. What we may have missed, though, is the niche versions of sauvignon blanc like this also being created there. Soft and herbal, it brings us fresh pear, melon and peach flavours that are accompanied by zingy lemon acidity and a gentle savoury backdrop that contains pithy grapefruit elements too." Jancisrobinson.com, June 2024, 15 points: "Lightly grassy gooseberry fruit and lime. Fresh, simple, unpretentious." Wine Merchant Magazine, June 2024: "Maybe a Sauvignon Blanc at 11% isnt a prospect to set the indie pulse racing, and we were prepared to be a little underwhelmed by this Cotes de Gascogne bottling. Yet what a pleasant bank holiday surprise it turned out to be, with its subtle grass and grapefruit undertones and easygoing freshness. Despite the name, it's not really big, but it is quite clever."