2023 Mary Taylor Wines 'Christophe Avi' Rose Agenais

Winemaker Notes: Next in our series of IGP/IGT wines. Here we are in the Sud Ouest – where Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grow wild and indigenous. (Cabernet Sauvignon is a 17th century hybrid of the two).

Indication Géographique Protégée means a delineated area which designates a particular terroir style (weirdly hard to translate this). In this case, Agenais is the IGP, overlapping with Buzet, Cotes du Marmandais and Cotes de Duras and is in the Lot et Garonne Department (47) which refers to the 2 rivers that flow through this stunning landscape, speckled with Gothic and Romanesque architecture. The ancient capital city Agen is 84 miles from Bordeaux. Soils here range from sandy riverbed to limestone hills in the north.

Christophe Avi, who also makes our Buzet wine, is a farmer with a passion for biodynamic viticulture. In his 40s, he runs his ancestor’s farm that borders AOC Buzet and AOC Cotes de Bruhlois. Since 1992, after a degree in oenology and viticulture, Christophe has honed his skills cultivating what is called ‘the blood of the Garonne.’

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Previous Vintage:

Vinous - "The 2022 Rosé Christophe Avi Agenais opens with a wildly aromatic display: honeyed florals, cherries, crushed nectarines and exotic spices. It’s round and pliant, almost oily in texture, with ripe orchard fruits propelled by juicy acidity. This leaves a balanced inner sweetness while cleaning up well, with cascading inner florals that resonate."