Metayage Chardonnay IGP Pay D'Oc

Métayage — a historical French sharecropping model — anchors Abbotts & Delaunay's philosophy: partnership with small growers across Pays d'Oc's diverse terroirs rather than estate consolidation. This Chardonnay sources from vineyards planted on limestone-clay composite soils at moderate elevation in the broader Languedoc-Roussillon corridor, where Mediterranean influence tempers continental extremes.

Fermentation occurs in neutral oak vessels with extended lees aging — a technique that builds textural complexity without oak-driven vanilla or toast. The combination preserves primary fruit character while introducing subtle almond and brioche undertones from autolysis. Bottled without fining or filtration, the wine retains natural minerality anchored by the limestone substrate.

This is a working Chardonnay: neither heavily oaked nor reductively mineral, it sits in the pragmatic middle ground of southern French white production — food-forward rather than showpiece. Drink 2024–2027 for optimal freshness and lees integration.