Domaine Lucas Berthuit - Winter Sky 2025
Located in Pépieux, in the Aude region, between the Languedoc wine plain and the first slopes of the Montagne Noire, Lucas Berthuit crafts wines that seek less the solar power than the brightness of the fruit and the clarity of the place. The estate, young in its history but already well recognized by lovers of sincere wines, works a traditional vineyard of about six hectares managed organically. The Mediterranean climate, dry and warm, is tempered by the Cers, a cold air current that cleanses the grapes and preserves an essential part of freshness. The soils, mostly clay-limestone, vary according to the plots between red clays, white clays, and gravel, giving the cuvées a nuanced reading of the area. The cellar extends this approach with gentle gestures, manual harvesting, long pressing, and a search for direct expression rather than technical correction. Winter Sky 2025 fits this clear line: a bright, precise, saline white from Languedoc, embracing the apparent simplicity of a pleasure wine while maintaining real mouthfeel. Its name evokes well this sensation of cold light, rare in a southern landscape often associated with warmth.
This cuvée comes from a single plot and a single grape variety, Vermentino, also called Rolle in southern France. The 2025 vintage comes from silty clay soils, a context that gives the wine a supple texture without excess width. The vines are pruned in simple Guyot and the plots are converting to organic farming, in an approach that supports the search for physiological balance in the vineyard. The grapes are hand-harvested in small crates, then vinified by direct pressing to preserve the aromatic brightness and natural freshness of the variety. Aging in tank keeps the wine in a clear expression, without woody notes, prioritizing fruit, tension, and drinkability. Classified as IGP Aude, Winter Sky 2025 has 12% alcohol, a measured degree that perfectly matches its profile as a lively, digestible, and contemporary white. This interpretation of Vermentino does not seek Mediterranean richness at all costs; it favors clarity, freshness, and a hint of iodine that gives relief to the finish.
The color should present as a bright pale yellow, with discreet green reflections announcing a wine built more on freshness than opulence. The nose evokes ripe lemon, fresh pear, white peach, and some floral nuances, then reveals a more saline, almost maritime touch that brings tension to the bouquet. On the palate, the attack is frank, supple, and immediately thirst-quenching, but the wine is not limited to this impression of lightness. Vermentino brings a slightly enveloping texture, quickly tightened by a livelier finish marked by citrus, white fruits, and fine bitterness. The whole remains very readable, precise, with a natural energy that makes you want to return to the glass without fatigue. This white will pair very well with shellfish, grilled squid, sea bream ceviche, Mediterranean vegetables, a fennel and citrus salad, burrata, or fresh goat cheese. Served around 9 to 10°C, it will retain its brightness while revealing its texture and the iodized hint that charms the cuvée.
Grape variety: Vermentino
