Blanc 2023

Andrea Calek is best known for his Syrabs, but his white is quietly one of the most interesting things on the table.

100% Chardonnay from the southern Ardèche — a region where almost everyone grows reds — vinified with zero sulphites and left entirely to its own devices.

What does Andrea Calek's Blanc taste like?

Calek has farmed his 5 hectares in Alba-la-Romaine completely chemical-free since 2007.

His approach to white wine is the same as his approach to reds: nothing added, nothing taken away, complete trust in the fruit and the vintage. The 2023 shows what southern Ardèche Chardonnay can do when it's grown without intervention and handled without compromise. It’s not a common grape to find amongst the sea of reds in the area, and can sometimes be flabby and lacking vibrancy. Here, it delivers.

This Blanc 2023 opens with a whisper of reductive intrigue on the nose - that struck-match quality that blows off in minutes to reveal something genuinely lovely underneath. Fresh and taut: lemon sherbet, chalk, bruised apple, a thread of vanilla, and white peach at the finish.

Crisp without being lean, textured without being heavy. Quite scrumptious - that's honestly the right word for it.

Serve well chilled. Would work brilliant with grilled fish, soft goat's cheese, or simply on its own on a warm evening. However, finish in one sitting as his zero zero wines do not last once opened for a second sitting.