With more than a century's presence in Gascony, Jean-Pierre purchased the Chateau du Tariquet, a very old estate that dated back to the 17th century. As the estate passed down the generations, the property was developed further to grow corn and surrounding land area was acquired to expand the estate.

It was not till 1982 that the Cuvee Classic was born and in the following year, the white wine won its first accolade by securing first prize at the Concours des Vins de Table in Montpellier. A wine made purely from Ugni blanc, which is characterised by its good yields but inability to yield distinguished wine, it was beyond imagination for members of the wine trade. The success soon spilled across to London where Tariquet was voted 'White Wine of the Year' in 1987. Fast gaining popularity in its domestic markets, Tariquet was soon well-received worldwide.

The vineyard is located between the Landes forest which serves as a partial rain screen and temperature regulator, and the Pyrenees, that block the hot winds coming up from the South. The maritime influence to the West, together with the proximity of the Pyrenees created favourable climate conditions for the development of flavours. During the month of August for instance, the area suffers from dramatic temperature differences with fluctuations up to 20 degrees celsius. Protecting themselves from the variations, the grape skins thicken and it is the skins that contain the desirable flavour cursors. The combination of a climate that remains moderate even at the height of summer and alternating day and night temperatures determine the balance in grapes.

For Tariquet's wines, freshness is one of the hallmarks and its favourable geographical location not only allow grapes to ripen without water stress but more importantly to maintain freshness.

The complexity in Tariquet's wines is not only explained by the influence of natural maritime influence but also the diversity of its soil composition which includes fine sand coloured by iron oxide, clay-limestone soils and a mixture of silica, clay and sand.

Now that we have learnt briefly about the origins of Tariquet, time to get our taste buds to work!

Domaine du Tariquet Classic 2013

Photo credit: Domaine Du Tariquet

The Classic packed much complexity in flavours, as derived from its composition of Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Sauvignon and Gros Manseng. The different blends were introduced for layered dimensions. The dry, fruity wine has much intensity and carries floral and citrus scents. A crisp wine with great freshness, we later learnt that this leaves the strongest acidic after-taste.