AOC Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Hommage

AOC Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Hommage

Golden hue with orangy highlights. Endearing nose of grape, orange peel and a honeyed accent. Mild at point of entry, splendid aromatic intensity, sultana, candied orange, rose petal and refined spice. Sheer pleasure. Keep for special occasions.

Presentation

Location

Spreads out over the south-east side of the Dentelles de Montmirail hills, in Beaumes de Venise in the southern part of the Rhone valley.

Terroir

On a poor sandy, hungry and arid soil consisting of tender limestone and gritty zones of sandy mollasse.

In the vineyard

The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.

The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.

We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).

We use and abide by countrywide standards for ‘sustainable agriculture’.

As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques. Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.

Winemaking

In the spirit of respecting traditional techniques and the best elements of modern technology, cellar manager Andrew Hall and his winemaker son Romain Hall take family traditions very seriously.

When making our wines, the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise plays a central role and requires great care. After picking the grapes by hand, we press them straightaway to ferment the juice without skins. We don’t add any yeasts and keep the alcoholic fermentation in check by
temperature control. Vin Doux Naturel winemaking involves stopping fermentation to preserve the grapes’ natural sweetness. During vinification, we watch the vats day and night and add the fortifying spirit just at the right moment. At this stage, the wine’s final balance is at stake. Traditional vinification field as in the 30s whit a long ageing.

Alcohol content

15

Allergens (sulfites)

Contains sulphites

Allergens (egg)

Does not contain egg or egg products

Allergens (milk)

Does not contain milk or milk-based products

Winegrowing label

AB Agriculture Biologique en conversion, Haute Valeur Environnementale

Cépages

Muscat à petits grains blancs : 75 %
Muscat à petits grains noirs : 25 %

Tasting tips

Serving

Serve at 12 ° C ready to drink immediately, it will also keep almost indefinitely

Food pairings

The Hommage is a versatile companion to many deserts. Most expressive with dry biscuits and dry fruits, it retains all its character served with a fruit tart, puff paestry and chocolate or coffe desserts. To appreciate as welle with duck breasts and figs. Served with a roquefort or a silton, it is marvellous. Simply as an aperitif with some dry fruit or grilled almonds. It's also a good compagnion for a classy cigars.

Reviews & awards

17/20
"Robe vermeille. Le côté passerillé se fait sentir. La pointe de Kumquat et une note de zeste d'agrumes lui confèrent beaucoup de classe. Sa palette aromatique subtile est soulignée par une pointe de menthol que révèle le muscat au vieillissement. La bouche n'est pas assise sur le sucre. Le vin arbore une jolie amplitude. Le confit des fruits jaunes est relayé par de beaux amers en bouche, avec un côté zeste d'agrume. Un Muscat harmonieux."
- Roberto Petronio
La Revue du Vin de France , 2018-08-29
95/100
"" Decanter World Wine Awards , 2020-09-25
96/100
"La cuvée hommage nous transporte toujours dans son univers complexe qui nous invite à la méditation."
- Olivier Poussier
La Revue du Vin de France , 2022-09-01
96/100
"La cuvée Hommage est un vin de méditation qui nous transporte par sa complexité et son équilibre. Les arômes de fruits et d'agrumes confits sont complexes. La bouche a mangé son sucre et les amers finaux apportent le relief nécessaire pour désucrer l'ensemble."
- Olivier Poussier - Meilleur sommelier du monde 2000
La Revue du Vin de France , 2023-09-14