2023 Domaine Lafage - Chardonnay VdP des Cotes Catalanes Novellum (750ml)

Domaine Lafage was founded in 1996 by Jean-Marc and Éliane Lafage, seventh-generation members of a family that has farmed grapes in Roussillon since the late eighteenth century. Rather than continue selling fruit to the local cooperative, as generations before him had done, Jean-Marc set out to build an independent domaine, and today the estate stretches from vineyards near the Mediterranean coast at Perpignan up into the foothills of the Pyrenees. Farming a patchwork of sites, including old vines in the Agly Valley and around Maury, the couple built Lafage into one of Roussillon's most recognized names.

Novellum Chardonnay began years ago as a Languedoc project sourced from a cooperative site that often saw a touch of natural botrytis, giving the wine weight without needing oak. When the Lafages later shifted the cuvée to their own Chardonnay vines near the Mediterranean in Roussillon, that botrytis character disappeared, so a small portion of the wine, typically under thirty percent, is now aged in barrel to add texture, while the rest rests in tank on the lees of Viognier for extra richness.

The 2023 pours a pale golden color and opens with aromas of citrus, white flowers, and sliced peach, joined by hints of passion fruit and a light mineral edge. The palate is medium to full-bodied and fruit-forward, staying fresh and well-balanced through a clean, lingering finish. Serve it with shellfish, a citrus-dressed salad, or a simple seafood pasta.