Domaine Olivier Pithon "Laïs" dry white 2023

PRESENTATION OF DOMAINE O. PITHON
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Domaine Olivier Pithon Lais blanc sec 2023

RVF Guide to the Best Wines of France 2026 (Sept 2025): 91/100. On the edge between just maturity and perfect maturity, Laïs blanc 2023 offers immediate pleasure without losing its aging potential.

The Wine Review of France (K. Valentin, Nov. 2025, Roussillon: the infinite nobility of Catalan whites) : Olivier Pithon arrived over twenty years ago in Calce. From the start, the Angers winemaker, brother of Jo Pithon, mastered the acidity of the grapes from the South, very different from the light Chenins of the Loire, and his production, half-red, half-white, is captivating. Today, he still produces some of the most desirable cuvees in the area, with a particular sensitivity to the whites. A fervent defender of the expression of terroirs through Grenache Gris and Macabeu, he also plants Clairette blanche and rose, Bourboulenc, and Albarino... All means are good to find freshness, starting with the grapes' ability to withstand water scarcity. Olivier Pithon bets on the aging potential of the blancs, so we delight in wines that have at least aged for two years.

Wine sheet written by the domaine:

Strange to name a wine after a cow. Not so twisted when you know Laïs, a Jersiaise, in Catalan country. It sums up the wine quite well. All the freshness and northern vivacity combined with Mediterranean richness.

Maccabeu, Grenache Blanc, and Gris from schistous slopes, with varied exposures, make up this blend. Fermentation and aging take place in barrels (50% foudres and 50% barriques), new, of one or two wines, for eight to ten months. Always in this spirit of respecting the grape, the wood knows how to be discreet to let very fresh floral notes speak. Thus, this wine can be enjoyed in its youth, on the liveliness of the aromas and palate, or it can be waited for to be surprised by a very mineral evolution.

Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes

Terroir: Schist, in Calce

Grapes: Grenache Gris, Blanc, and Macabeu

Harvest: by hand

Vinification: traditional, direct pressing

Aging: 1/2 barrique and 1/2 foudre for 10 months

Yield: 35 hl/ha

Area: 6 ha