Vin de France “Petit Ours Blanc” 2023

Wine description for Vin de France “Petit Ours Blanc” 2023 by Du Coulet

Colour & appearance

Deep golden yellow with subtle coppery reflections that shimmer warmly in the glass.

Nose

A remarkably aromatic white wine, initially offering ripe apples, quinces, pears and yellow plums. Behind these emerge delicate notes of smoke, crushed stone, matcha and broom, with a subtle spiciness of pepper, anise and liquorice in the background – a bouquet that grows in complexity the longer the glass sits.

Palate

The ripe fruit coats the palate generously, yet on the tongue the spicy elements – pepper, liquorice, anise, fennel – come through far more pronouncedly than on the nose. The wine has volume and southern opulence, but never becomes heavy thanks to its polished texture and fine, supportive acidity. Dry, with 13 vol.% alcohol.

Finish

Long and spicy, with lingering notes of liquorice and anise that persist long on the palate.

Terroir & origin

The grapes come from the communes of Vallaurie, Allan and Visan in the southern Rhône Valley, where the vines are rooted in clay, silt and sand soils over a limestone base. Matthieu Barret, whose Domaine du Coulet in Cornas is renowned for uncompromising Syrah from steep granite terraces, reveals here a different, white side of his talent.

Grape variety & vinification

A cuvée of Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier – three classic white Rhône varieties that merge here into a harmonious whole. The wine was aged for eleven months in stainless steel tanks, entirely without wood – an approach consistent with Barret’s philosophy of letting fruit and origin speak purely. At his estate in Cornas, he has completely dispensed with barriques since 2017, relying instead on concrete and stainless steel.

Food recommendations

The combination of southern richness and fine acidity makes this wine a versatile everyday wine: sole in beurre blanc, chicken with fennel and lemon, saffron risotto or mature Comté – wherever spice and creaminess are called for, it feels entirely at home.

Special features

The nickname “Petit Ours” – little bear – comes from Stéphane Tissot, the Jura legend who once gave Matthieu Barret this name. What sets this white wine apart is its rare balance of opulent fruit and cool spice: a wine that is lavish on the nose yet remains taut on the palate – all without any influence of wood.