Chardonnay from producer Axel Prüfer. His organically farmed vineyard has large limestone rocks that are clearly expressed in the minerality of this wine. He maintains a low interventionist approach in his winemaking to ensure that the wines remain fresh and true to the terroir. Chardonnay macerates for 10 days in whole bunches and, after pressing, is added to the Clairette must. Refined in steel for 9 months. Notes of orange citrus flesh and zest, apple, and savory honey. Crunchy and complex, with excellent minerality.

Axel Prüfer makes wine in a remote part of the Languedoc—his vineyards, which until recently amounted to 8ish hectares, are surrounded by forest and most of his neighbors are wild boars that he wards off using hair he collects from the local salon (boars apparently don’t like the smell of human hair). His wines are direct and delicate, showing off the granitic quartz soils in which his vines grow. Axel added 7 hectares of vines in 2022 and has been converting the farming to organic practices. He primarily ages the wines in stainless steel or fiberglass, though he occasionally uses old barrels.