Le Clos des Fées 2011

Le Clos des Fées 2011

Cotes du Roussillon Village

Hervé Bizeul

95/100 Parker

Maturity: 2014 - 2029

By Jeb Dunnuck in 2014: "A prodigious effort, the Clos Des Fées 2011 de Côtes du Roussillon Villages Le Clos Des Fées is a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 10% Carignan and Mourvèdre. Aged for 16 months in 70% new French oak, it offers an impressive amount of black fruits, blackcurrants, licorice, smoky herbs and violets that melt into a full-bodied, layered and fantastically concentrated profile on the palate. Despite all this richness, it remains lively and fresh, with integrated acidity and a healthy underlying structure. This is a bottle of wine to drink over the next 10-15 years."

Selected plots of old hillside vines on limestone-clay soil. A blend of equal parts of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache noir, Carignan noir. Intensive work in the vineyards: removal of buds and laterals, bunch equalising, leaf-thinning. Search for optimum phenolic ripeness, adapted for each varietals and each terroir. The harvest is brought in and stores in refrigerated truck. Vinification is done in five hectolitre puncheons, de-vatted when warm, malolactic fermentation and ageing in 100% new oak barrels. All operations such as pumping-over, racking and barrel topping are done by hand, without pumps. Aged for 18 months on lees. Unfiltered. Powerful wine, concentrated, rich palate, exceptional creamy texture, yet fresh and focused. Delicious for a year after bottling, if one likes young and powerful wines, but needs to be decanted. Usually shuts-down the second year. Matures slowly and gradually acquires its character while retaining its vibrant fruit. Cellaring potential 8 to 15 years.