Clos du Gravillas is based in the village of Saint-Jean de Minervois in the shadow of the Montagne Noir in the Minervois region of Languedoc-Roussillon. The 6-hectare estate is owned and run by American John Bojanowski and his wife Nicole who hails from Narbonne. They started off in 1999 with 1 hectare of ancient Carignan and Grenache Gris vines and over the past few years have acquired more land and planted more vines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Mourvedre. The estate is run strictly along organic lines and today produces some of the finest wines in the region. 'l'Inattendu' ('surprise' or 'unexpected') is 100% Grenache Gris and is fermented in 400 litre oak barrels for 12 months. A full-bodied yet elegant white, it pairs particularly well with Comte cheese.
Straw-yellow in colour. Exotic aromas of orange peel, peach and pepper. On the palate, fresh and clean with a slightly oily texture and pleasantly oxidised notes. The finish is lingering and spicy with mineral notes. Drink with tuna and white bean gratin, pan-fried red mullet Catalan-style or a dish of anchovies, black olive tapenade and sundried tomatoes.