Gérard Bertrand Aigle Royal Chardonnay Limoux 2013

his is my third vintage encounter with Aigle Royal this time it's at the winery. Like the '11 and '12 the 2013 is as special as the 31 hectares of perfection at northernmost coolest part of the Haute Vallée de l'Aude in Limoux where the grapes grow at 250m to 500m above sea level. The site gives Bertrand the possibility to make an elegant wine his chardonnay vines that sit over clay-limestone soils over deliver. Expect a vibrant mix of pear, nectarines and red apples injected with citrus and flecked with subtle garrigue and vanilla notes. Attractive creamy, juicy textures pull you into the wine and hold your interest through the stony mineral finish. Greta with rich seafood dishes. Lobster anyone? Score - 93. (Anthony Gismondi, gismondionwine.com, March 31, 2015)