The unique terroir of Marseillan with its maritime influences and sea breeze, combined with soft winter weather, is now world-renowned for producing some of the finest dry white wines of the South of France.
During the 19th century, casks of wine were transported across the sea on open decks of sailing ships. The Noilly family masterfully recreated the effects of this unique outdoor ageing environment. This incredible and unique place is called L’Enclos. It is in L’Enclos that the fine regional dry whites wines, used for the elaboration of Noilly Prat Original Dry, are aged for 12 months, in a process that ensures slow oxidation by simulating the influence of the four seasons on our precious casks and therefore exposing the wines to the elements.
Chai des Mistelles is the awe-inspiring original indoor cellar built in around the 1850’s, were Mistelles wines (fermented grape juice with a little neutral alcohol added) are aged for up to 12 months in huge and exceptional wooden vats to give the final blend a smooth sweetness and rich golden color. Then, the final blend of fine wines (aged dry whites and mistelles) are blended and gently macerated in La Salle des Secrets for 3 weeks with around 20 dried aromatic herbs and spices from all around the world to create the one and only Noilly Prat Original Dry. The whole selection of botanicals in the creation of the Noilly Prat collection is a closely guarded secret.
At La Maison Noilly Prat the maceration process is a time-honoured and traditional method known as the dodinage (stirring by hand).