
Bel A Ciao 2020
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Grapes: Semillon 98%, Sauvignon Blanc 2%
Vintage: 2020
ABV: 13%
Bottle size: 75cl
Viticulture: biodynamic, organic
Winemaking: Vinified as you would a red wine, protected with carbonic ice during the filling process, with 2 weeks of skin maceration of the Semillon to extract the orange colour, before a gravity fed runoff into a separate tank for 6 months at 5°C until bottling. There are no added sulphites in order to preserve the authenticity of the site and variety. A tiny amount of Sauvignon Blanc (2%) is added just before bottling to enhance the freshness and acidity.
Vegan?: yes
The wine has refreshing citrus aromas such as tangerine as well as wildflowers. The mouth is fresh, lively and complex with notes of fresh tropical and citrus fruits. A slightly spicy, long lemon finish. The lack of sulphites used in the vineyard and in production combined with careful winemaking means the end product is incredibly low in them. Pair with exotic, spicy food or citrus based dishes.
About the producer: Growing up in Libourne, it was inevitable that Olivier was to fall in love with the world of wine, but it’s his revolutionary approach to winemaking and desire to break the rules that sets him apart.
Having worked in export sales for a number of negociants, in 1998 he became co-founder and the buyer at ChateauOnline, one of the first e-commerce websites in the wine business. In 2003 he and Anne were married and decided they wanted their own vineyards, as he says: “you would have had to be crazy to buy a property in Bordeaux in 2003” … but that they did. After much searching they discovered a property, whose garden meanders to the bank of the Dordogne, just 5km south of Libourne.
At that time the vineyard area totalled 4.5 ha and was planted mainly with Merlot and some old Cabernet Franc. With his father-in-law’s help they bought nearby plots and extended to 8 hectares. The first few years were about slowly replanting and discovering the terroirs and by 2016 all of his vineyards were worked bio-dynamically, with 2019 being the first certified vintage.