Château Tricul la Graviere 

– Bergerac

Make no mistake, we are in world class territory. A lot is written about terroir, soil and microclimates. You often question how much of it is true, how do people know exactly why the wines work out the way they do? At Tirecul however, you can really see it in front of you. There aren’t many estates where you can see the whole vineyard in one block. It’s only in two little pockets that the fog sits to create the conditions for some truly phenomenal botrytis wines. Bruno Bilancini explains - “It’s a bit of a goldilocks site, at the bottom of the hill it is too open and the top of the hill it is too windy but in these spots all the quirks of nature are just right.” (I haven’t tried any Tirecul in my porridge, but I am going to now).  

“They are among the greatest sweet wines I have tasted… from anywhere!” – Robert Parker

90% of the 9ha vineyard is planted with an even split between Semillon and Muscadelle, the latter is a fascinating variety, often in the background but it can be the real star of the show. The balance is Sauvignon blanc and the recently allowed Chenin. The exact blend of the sweet wines is unknown because the grapes are picked when they are showing the best elements of botrytis and fermented together.

Château Tirecul may be a very famous name in the world of sweet wines but it was actually the two relatively new dry whites that first piqued our interest. Ulma and Andrea work beautifully as a contrasting pair. The former has freshness and energy and just so much life and the latter a seriously indulgent streak of reasonably showy oak. uff.