1star Guide Hachette " Pascale Riviere fell in love with the Causse de Montpeyroux where he planted his vineyard. Herehe makes La Pimpanela - "peony" in Occitan - which also means, a cunning and smart girl ... This 2011 plays abig game of seduction: bright garnet colour, nose of cocoa, spice, blackberry jam and blackcurrant bud. Ripe palate, lively and rich, no lack of structure. For a rib of beef and homemade fries.
100% Maccabeu. Jeb Dunnuck writes "shows lots of lime, citrus peel, green herbs and hints of minerality. This is a fresh, crisp, clean white that will function perfectly as a meal starter. Made from Maccabeu and Grenache that saw some barrel aging (all older oak)"
A pure Syrah, which has spent two years in wood, including new wood. Overripe grapes. Deep colour. Solid dense nose; solid oak on the nose. Less obvious oak on palate.
Their first botrytised wine since 2002. No oak. Picked at the end of October. RS 90 g/l. Pale gold. Lightish but varietal with very clean honeyed flavours. Went beautifully with a lemon syllabub.
93/100 Jamie Goode wineanorack.com "Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Parcel selection. Fresh with a note of iron under the supple, ripe yet structured red berry fruits. I love the freshness and bloodiness to this wine. Grainy and supple with a nice spicy bite and lovely focus".
90-92 points Wine Advocate "The 2017 Kaya Blanc is equal parts Carignan Blanc, Carignan Gris, Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris, half aged in tank and half in barrel. Bright, clean notes of orange and lime zest mark the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich and round, balanced by brine and zest notes on the lengthy finish.
90 points Wine Advocate A selection of different parcels of 50 year old Grenache Noir grown on hillsides of schist soils. After some fermentation the wine is fortified and aged in large used barrels. It offers lots of sweetness in its cassis and blackberry fruits, sugared plum and spice aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, nicely balanced and clean, it is ideal for drinking over the coming 3-4 years.
From a single vineyard of 85% Mourvèdre and15% Syrah. 20% of the wine is aged in oak. There is dry leathery spice on the nose with a subtle spicy palate with some balancing tannins and bags of black fruit.
17 points Jancis Robinson "The first hit off the nose is an unexpectedly Cabernet Franc-like sharpened-pencil note, followed swiftly by the lift of wood varnish. Then it settles into something deeper, more brambly, crushed wild berries and that sweet-earthy-decay scent of old autumn leaves kicked up in the cold wet months of February. Mushroom. Rough-hewn tannins curling loosely around dried fruit and juniper-perfumed gaminess. Orange-citrus acidity fills the mouth, hinting at plums and Christmas, and then wanes, leaving tendrils of wood smoke, black tea leaf and dry spices. Roussillon in a glass. "
Made from Grenache Blanc this Vin doux naturel bears some relation to the better known sweet white Muscat de Rivesaltes, but with less floral and more citrus nose and more complex palate. Great dessert wine with tasrte tatin
A Grenache-based blend allying freshness and florality with power and richness. Blackcurrant, white cherry, blackberry with floral background, complemented with spice notes. Dense and stylish fruit with a lifted spice note on the finish.
100% Carignan from 80 year old vines. Complex floral aromas. On the palate the fruits, such as raspberry and morello cherry, are crunchy and fresh. There is also a very strong stony/mineral feeling. The finish is long and pure. A vibrant wine.
Made from 100% Cinsault, the medium ruby-colored IGP has pretty, juicy notes of cherries, dusty spice-box and dried flowers in a medium-bodied, delicious, charming style.
90-92 Wine Advocate 'The 2013 Saint Chinian Elise is a full-bodied, concentrated blend of 85% Syrah and 15% Grenache, from a parcel selection of schist soils, that’s raised all in barrels. Black raspberries, white pepper, cherry pits and exotic flowers are just some of the nuances here, and this beauty hits the palate with no hard edges, notable purity and a great finish. It too will have a decade or overall longevity. 2016-2023+. '
89-91 points Jeb Dunnuck "the 2013 Maury Sec Bastoul-Laffite is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Carignan that’s brought up all in barrel. Offering lots of plum, chalky minerality, chocolate and violets, it’s medium to full-bodied, has excellent purity of fruit and fine tannin"
Pure Carignan Blanc. The primary mineral aromas give way to notes of white flowers and zest of preserved lemon after a gentle aeration. The mouth is mineral yet ample, balanced with a lovely freshness. To accompany grilled sardines, "seiche à la plancha", grilled oysters and mild cheeses.
Biodynamic, blend of 40% each of syrah and merlot, with petit verdot; unfined and unfiltered. A strong quite complex initially meaty nose quickly morphing into rich concentrated blackcurrant, then toast, dried herbs, red currant jam and a touch of chocolate; medium-full bodied with fresh supporting acidity, ripe not too firm tannins, with a mid-palate of black berries and cherry, with low-key sweet oak and a hint of pine. Follows into a medium-long length
A wonderfully aromatic wine, with masses of juicy raspberry and black cherry fruit on the palate, married to intensely juicy cherry kernel/citrus acidity and tea-like tannins, though this time with the savouriness more on the meaty than herby side. Once again a really mouth-watering and beautifully balanced wine. The flavours are rich and ripe and, with time in the glass, developing more in the way of dark, fruit pastille flavours, with a hint of black olive savouriness, leading to a long, tangy finish. Another really lovely wine.
89 points Wine Advocate "a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre that was brought up all in concrete tanks. It has a classic, slightly earthy style in its leather, sweet black and blue fruits and peppery herb aromas and flavors. This gives way to a plump, sweetly fruited, mouthfilling red that's ideal for drinking over the coming 3-4 years."
100% Grenache Noir, harvested from various vineyards in the Roussillon is then partially fermented and spirit added to create a port like red wine, but with softer tannins and lower alcohol 16%. Sweet, fruity and a joy with chocolate.
17/20 Jancis Robinson "Deep crimson. Rich and refined. Not overdone and very appetising. A hint of salt and treacle. Very suave and polished. Quite rich but very appetising too. Good to see this important wine evolving with the times. "
A blend of 60% Grenache blanc 20% Vermentino 15% Roussanne and 5% Bourboulenc grown on south facing hills in and around the commune of Cessenon in the Saint Chinian appellation. 15% of the wine is fermented in oak, the remainder in stainless steel.Citrus, apricot and white flowers leads to a clean palate, with complexity and length. Try with langoustines, hake or asparagus.
Winemaker Vincent writes "For this 2016 vintage, the quality of our Cabernet Franc was outstanding. During the fermentation process one small batch in oak tank was so pure that we extended the maceration, more like an infusion, to see how the wine would develop with prolonged contact with the grape skins… This experience resulted in an infusion lasting 180 days (normally 20 to 30 days) with eventual pressing of the grapes on the 10th April 2017, during the Easter full moon! "
Based on Carignan from the oldest vineyard planted in 1955. This was made in two batches. The first was maceration carbonique method and the second a traditional fermentation with 20% whole bunches. The wines were then aged in used barrels for 9 months before blending. It's a very fresh and perfumed wine that combines soft tannins with deep complexity, making it a perfect wine to drink while young, even slightly chilled.
Chosen for its originality, its exuberance and purity of fruit and characterised by its floral aromas, its roundness and minerality. A wine out of the ordinary, let it surprise you
This vineyard was planted with Chenin Blanc after the discovery that morning mists appeared in the autumn giving a great opportunity to make a sweet Botrytis style wine. Individual berries or bunches affected by Noble Rot are harvested on four separate pickings. On the palate a powerful and intense sweetness is underpinned by a crisp backbone of acidity
Natural, biodynamic and vegan. 50% each Grenache and Carignan from old vines, made without filtering or fining. Red fruit, cherries, juicy with a slightly earthy quality, almost carob-esque. Great drinking.
Plots older than 90 years Carignan on black schistous marl. Aged for 20 months in barrels.Notes of blueberries and spices, concentrated palate, fine and taut.
70% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 10% Carignan that spent 24 months in older oak. Pretty and perfumed aromatically, with notes of spring flowers, rose garden, sappy underbrush and plenty of black cherry and darker berry fruit.
A Rancio wine has been fortified and allowed to oxidise by being left in direct sunlight. This adds concentration and an oxidised nutty character to the wine. Fascinating, intense and delicious.
From one of the most beautiful stony soils of the appellation, Thierry Billè's Fitou is a little bomb of fruits and spices ... at once fine, elegant and modern! A gourmet Fitou and friendly.
Marselan is a variety created from Grenache and Cabernet-Sauvignon in the Languedoc-Roussillon.This organic wine has lovely black fruit primary flavours and fine tannins, meaning you can drink it on its own or enjoy with duck, beef, turkey and Mediterranean dishes.
17 points Jancis Robinson "Really spicy and broad on the palate. The oak influence is (just) held in check. This is a really interesting wine: broad, long and tense. Unlike any other I can think of, though there are echoes of other fine, characterful Roussillon whites. Very long. Goes on and on, on the back palate."
A lovely blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, that is made without oak for young drinking, more in a Loire mould than Bordeaux. It's fresh and fruity, very easy to drink on its own or with steak, sausages, cutlets. A real joy, and a bargain.
