2015
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Saint-Chinian, north-west of Béziers
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| Dry red, aged in used oak barrels for 1 year |
85% Grenache and 15% Carignan from a single plot
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14.0%
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Venison, beef, lamb, mushroom risotto
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Still excellent
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Now, or to 2025 and beyond
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Although very young, this has a whiff of fine wine about it...... a veritable cornucopia of fresh and preserved red and black fruits burst forth from the glass, combined with all manner of herbal, floral, medicinal, tarry, earthy and savoury aromas. Freshly baked bread/brioche also gets a look in, not to mention a hint of the very finest eau de vie you can think of. Oh and just the faintest lick of (older) oak. A really complex, integrated and intoxicating wine, with oodles of spice-laden, garrigue-infused black cherry and bramble fruit on the palate, with rich, ripe tannins and a backbone of mouth-watering acidity. A rather well-known and respected wine writer and Languedoc expert described it as "reminiscent more of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but not too heavy or alcoholic". Well I am here to tell you that the latter may be accurate, but the former is not. For although it may not be like your everyday Saint-Chinian, it does possess all of the vibrancy and elegance that the best wines from this (relatively cool-climate) region of Languedoc has to offer - and is therefore far more reminiscent of the wines of the northern Rhone. A brilliant wine. |
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