When it comes to white wine, Domaine de l'Horizon's Côtes Catalanes Blanc redefines what's possible in a profound way.

The wine combines the jagged mineral cut of top Muscadet with the tactile intensity of Northern Rhône whites.

What you get in the total package is absolutely thrilling and easily one of the most exciting wines that we've tasted in a long time. Both Ian and I tasted it separately in a line-up of seven wines and for both of us, it was the stand out by a wide margin. It's an extraordinary wine.

Domaine de l'Horizon is located in Calce, a stark and geologically diverse area that Gauby made famous. The area is fairly high altitude for Horizon's old vines (some of which are close to a hundred years old) and tiny yields help to endow the wines with a sappy intensity. From these conditions, which are far too extreme to properly convey with words, Horizon's Thomas Teibert turns out rivetingly mineral and electric wines.

The 2016 offers a rugged and slightly wild character with exacting precision and a level of tension that feels unbelievable in these southern precincts. It's based on an old interplanted vineyard of roughly equal parts Macabeu and Grenache Gris. The resulting wine mingles stone and chalk with complex citrus, herbal and floral notes. What's most striking is how much density and drive it offers with an impression of utter levity.

This is one of the wines that will make you think anew about whites from southern France. Beyond that, it's a wine of such authentic beauty and minerality that it demands attention and lavish praise. We're excited to track this bottle over the next 5-7 years and would bet that its balance will carry it even longer.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone

Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits