Milouse 2023 Jean Philippe Padié | Roussillon

Jean-Philippe Padié 's cuvée Milouise was born of a desire for memory and depth. Through its name, Jean-Philippe Padié pays homage not only to his great-grandparents Milou and Louise, but also to the old Roussillon grape varieties. The combination of the estate's oldest vines of Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and Macabeu, along with historic varieties such as Muscat, Carignan Blanc, Tourbat and Clairette, poetically reflects this tribute. Planted on a fragmented soil of schist, marl and limestone, at an altitude of around 350 meters, these vines have produced a juice that can only be enhanced by a winemaking process of rare precision. Direct pressing, natural fermentation in concrete vats and ageing in Stockinger tuns reveal, without overdoing it, a clear understanding of the terroir and the blend.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Natural winemaking plays a key role in the profile of Jean-Philippe Padié's cuvée Milouise. The wine gains in complexity and tension, its freshness and balance are fully expressed without masking its asperities straight from this typical Roussillon terroir. This choice reflects the winemaker's desire to let the terroir speak for itself, with a wine that builds slowly and improves with age.

On the nose, the wine reveals an initial complex bouquet of toast and hot stone, with smoky traces of controlled ageing and a few tasty hints of autolysis. On aeration, a second delicate yet no less concentrated nose emerges, evoking the warmth of yellow fruits, wild flowers, dry garrigue herbs and creamy honey. The whole remains surprisingly fine, breathing earth and time.

On the palate, the ample, seductive body unfolds without overload, all in sapid freshness. Mineral tension asserts itself, supported by chiseled acidity that balances and lengthens the aromatic richness. Ageing in casks reveals a subtly buttery texture, with no trace of wood. The pure, persistent finish evokes the stones of the Causse and the freshness of a high plateau.