MILLESIMES 2016

Domaine la CROIX CHAPTAL  ❤❤❤❤❤

An estate divided into 20 ha of vineyard and 10 ha of woodland. “Being ecologically accountable while never giving in to any form of ideological fundamentalism” says the passionate wine-grower. “For example, ever since 2000, with other colleagues of mine, wine-growers in Terrasses du Larzac, we have developed integrated farming practice and we actively continue today. We aim at respecting the terroir in order to get the best out of it thanks to a natural grass cover and as little outside intervention as possible in order for the soil to fully live (worms, bacteria). We want te revive biodiversity, to find the best balance between the respect of the soil, of the air (by controlling CO2 emissions) and Man. We are looking for the pleasure of authenticity, we also let time do its work without speeding up” 

Coteaux-du-Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac Cuvée Charles 2012, 35% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 15% Carignan et 15% Mourvèdre on rounded stones and gravel with some red clay, hand-picked harvest. The outcome is this full-bodied and voluptuous wine with rich and well-balanced tannins, an intense nose (blackberry, redcurrant, spices…) and a fully rounded mouth. 

Terrasses du Larzac Le Secret de Gellone 2013 (Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre et Syrah), is distinctive as it combines power and elegance with its powerful aromas of red fruits characterized by a smoky and peppery finish. Its palate is unctuous with underlying tannins that are enhanced. Serve with a young goat with sorrel or pork chops with lentils.

 Fine Coteaux du Languedoc Les Sigillées rosé 2015, 100% fruity, both sharp and generous, finely spicy, dry and voluptuous at the same time ; just as the Coteaux du Languedoc cuvée les Sigillées blanc 2014, with aromas of walnut and citrus fruit and a long-lasting finish.
 

Guide DVE   Printemps 2016 : Translation in GB

Witiza 2012 Terrasses du Larzac  A.O.P. : 94/ 100
Cépages : 15% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre, 35% Syrah, 10% Carignan
Intense garnet-red color with a few remaining deep purple highlights, it is bright and limpid. Fine packaging. The nose is strong and suggestive as it offers balsamic and « garrigue » overtones (thyme, sage, bay leaf, olive tree leaf and cade), notes of licorice and graphite, of juicy sun-filled black fruits (blackberry and blackcurrant) and finally mineral nuances of graphite and fresh tar. When it is aerated, the nose is completed by overtones of ageing (mocha, toasted notes, ground coffee and chocolate sweet with macerated morello cherry). In the mouth, it is a tender, full-bodied, dense and velvety elixir. It is lush and generous with a voluptuous structure in which its power is now fully integrated. The whole displays fullness with this perfectly mastered skin-deep structure. In spite of its powerful character, the tannins are finely melted. Equally successful are the aromas which combine fruit, spices and overtones of ageing. Long-lasting in the mouth.
D.V.E. opinion : a sappy but also very refined Terrasses du Larzac in which a terroir is fully expressed.
Ageing capacity: 4 to 5 years. Température de service : entre 17-18°C.
Prix départ caveau T.T.C. 25 €

Cuvée Charles 2013 Terrasses du Larzac  A.O.P : 92/ 100
Cépages : 33% Grenache, 35% Syrah et 32% Carignan.
Garnet-red color, very fine aspect and firmness with perhaps the very beginning of an evolution on the edge of the disc. It is limpid and bright with body and fine tears. The nose is very pleasant with a successful combination between balsamic notes (aromatic herbs such as thyme, sage, bayleaf and eucalyptus) and hints of ageing (roasted coffee and mocha) which do not take the upper hand over fruity notes (slightly stewed strawberry, raspberry and cherry). When aerated, this Mediterranean feeling is enhanced by a tinge of licorice and a nuance of salt. Superb palate with a soft, full and scented first impression. As it evolves, it becomes more fleshy and somewhat powerful but still on the velvety side and above all with a very convincing combination of fruits, licorice and the well-integrated hints of ageing. Overall, it is elegant and characteristic with generous flesh and stylish tannins. Long lasting finish.
D.V.E. opinion: a superb bottle of high birth ; a success, undeniably pure aromas.
Durée de Garde: dans les 4 à 6 ans. Température de service : entre 17-18°C.
Prix départ caveau T.T.C. 15 €

Le secret de Gellone 2013 Terrasses du Larzac  A.O.P.: 89/ 100
Cépages : Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Carignan.
Rather deep garnet color with bigarreau cherry highlights. It is shiny and limpid with fine tears. Strong nose which successfully combines licorice and a wealth of aromatic herbs followed by overtones of small stone fruit and more mineral notes (schist and rounded stone). Its undeniable Mediterranean identity pleasantly comes out in the scent of “garrigue” and in its mineral character. In the mouth, this wine displays a rather silky, and even velvety, texture and a strength concentrated in its flesh. The first taste is straightforward, fresh and voluptuous; then as it evolves, a fruity texture coats the melting tannins. The whole comes along with an appropriate tinge of freshness. A lingering finish on overtones of scrubland, spices and licorice closely binds all the above. Some tannins enhance the finish but will have no trouble melting. We appreciate the freshness and the mineral character of this wine.
D.V.E.opinion : an engaging, typical and finely crafted aromatic expression.
Durée de Garde: dans les 3 à 4 ans. Température de service : entre 17-18°C.
Prix départ caveau T.T.C. 12 €

Les Sigillées Rouge 2015 : Languedoc  A.O.P. : 87/ 100
Cépages : 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 10% Carignan, 10% Syrah
In its youth, this wine is slightly ruby-colored with bright and limpid deep purple highlights. The nose is pleasant, straight forward and voluptuous, it conjures up small very ripe – even slightly stewed – red fruits like wild strawberry, raspberry, cherry and redcurrant. After aerating, notes of aromatic herbs (thyme, bay leaf) and “garrigue” crop up and give it a Mediterranean identity. In the mouth, the first taste is generous and fleshy and voluptuously gives off notes of fruits and licorice. As it evolves, it displays a rather good fleshy texture and an already silky and melted structure. The whole is pleasant, round and supple, with already melted tannins and a freshness which leads the wine up to the finish that offers spices as well as a hint of violet.
D.V.E.opinion : a voluptuous wine crunchy with fruits and marked by a Mediterranean identity.
Durée de Garde: dans les 2 à 3 ans. Température de service : entre 15-16°C.
Prix départ caveau T.T.C. 8 €

Les Sigillées 2015 Languedoc  A.O.P. : 86/ 100
Cépages : 40% Grenache Gris et Noir, 20% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 20% Carignan.
Raspberry-red color with « Claret » highlights which keeps on being finely bright and limpid ; fine aspect. The first nose verges on very ripe - even overripe - red fruits (strawberry, raspberry and cherry flesh); then comes a floral bouquet of dried flowers and aromatic herbs. It is rather original and characteristic with, when it is aerated, nuances of citrus fruit rather close to blood orange. In the mouth, it is a very supple wine with a generous, round and fleshy first taste in which the same overtones of flowers and very ripe fruits can be felt. As it evolves, it keeps this roundness brought by the acidulous notes of citrus fruit still on blood orange and pink grapefruit. It is a wine meant for gastronomy with a finish where the rather soft Mediterranean touch can be felt.
D.V.E. opinion : undoubtedly a  rosé to accompany rather substantial dishes.
Ageing capacity: up to one year. Température de service : entre 10-11°C.
Prix départ caveau T.T.C. 8 €

Clairette Blanche 2013 Clairette du Languedoc  A.O.P. : 90/ 100
Intense golden yellow color, very bright and limpid with a rather good viscous aspect, fine presentation. The nose is generous, it gives off hints of toasted grapes and of white fruits; then come buttery and pastry hints along with a bouquet of acacia, bee wax and pollen. Dry fruits, even overtones of walnut, can also be felt, it is rather complex and evolving. In the mouth, the wine is very supple with a powerful, generous and very unctuous first taste. As it evolves, it keeps being generous and supple with a satisfactory balance between fat and freshness. The whole is well made and original, nuances of almond and hazelnut along with long-lasting aromas of vanilla can be felt. It is a white wine meant to accompany a meal.
D.V.E. opinion : a definitely typical character for this fat wine to be chosen for gastronomy cooking.
Ageing capacity: within 3 years. Température de service : entre 9-11°C.
Prix départ caveau T.T.C. 10 €
 

PRESS GUIDES 2015

Cuvée Charles 2012 
Terrasses du Larzac -  out of

In the nose, black fruits like blackberry and cherry with liquorice and soft spices. In the mouth, dry fruits like date and raisins. Very ripe and voluptuous fruit but also an utterly mineral freshness. Superb balance. To be paired with lamb chops and ratatouille.

Les Sigillées Blanc 2014
Coteaux du Languedoc -  out of
Fresh fruit like pear, peach and mirabelle plum with slight aromas of rose. The mouthfeel is also fruity and slightly verging on stewed fruit. It is light with a buttery texture. To be paired with monkfish cheeks in parsley sauce.
 

DUSSERT-GERBER
PREMIER GRAND VIN CLASSÉ
Prize of Honour /
The recommended winemakers in their appellation combine both talent and passion without being influenced by passing trends... everything that we appreciate

An estate divided into 20 ha of vineyard and 10 ha of woodland. “Being ecologically accountable while never giving in to any form of ideological fundamentalism” says the passionate wine-grower. “For example, ever since 2000, with other colleagues of mine, wine-growers in Terrasses du Larzac, we have developed integrating farming practice and we actively continue today. We aim at respecting the terroir in order to get the best out of it thanks to a natural grass cover, as little outside intervention as possible in order for the soil to fully live (worms, bacteria). We want te revive biodiversity, to find the best balance between the respect of the soil, of the air (by controlling CO2 emissions) and Man. We are looking for the pleasure of authenticity, we also let time do its work without speeding up”

The Coteaux-du-Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac cuvée Charles 2012 is true to itself. 35% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 15% Carignan and 15% Mourvèdre are grown on a soil of rounded stones and gravel with some red clay. The grapes are harvested by hand. All that contributes to produce this wine which shows body and tannins, a structure both dense and supple, overtones of violet, blackcurrant and prune. It is intense in the mouth, which also applies to this other Terrasses du Larzac Le Secret de Gellone 2012 (Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah), a full-bodied wine with prevailing notes of leather and ripe blackcurrant as well as melted but very dense tannins. It combines colour and texture, has a pleasant spicy finish and evolves perfectly. 

The Coteaux du Languedoc Les Sigillées rosé 2013, ever so fruity and combining sharpness and generosity. It is subtly spicy, both dry and voluptuous and full of aromas in the mouth. The Coteaux-du-Languedoc cuvée Terrasses du Larzac Les Terrasses rouge 2012, 35% Syrah, 35% Grenache and30% Mourvèdre shows integrated tannins and is as fleshy as is expected, generous and distinctive with its intense crimson colour and its notes of fresh red stone fruit and humus. The Coteaux du Languedoc cuvée les Sigillées blanc 2014 with its aromas of walnut and citrus fruit combines elegance, a powerful structure and a very good length. It is powerfully aromatic as is the Clairette Du Languedoc Clairette Blanche 2012 with its lingering and complex bouquet of peach and verbena. It is a fine and elegant wine with a pleasant fruity finish. Here comes the amazing Clairette Du Languedoc Rancio 2009, November harvest, traditional vinification in oak barrels, a 24-month ageing in barrels and 15 months in tanks. It displays a lingering bouquet of lime and dried apricot as well as fine generosity. It is complex and lingering in the mouth

Clairette Rancio November harvest 2009 **2 stars

Here is a sweet Clairette of the rancio type – an exceptional wine – harvested on a glorious day in November 2009. A wine as finely crafted as a jewel. Behind a bright amber colour, the powerful aromas will not surprise you: candied orange, gingerbread, fresh walnut and dried apricot. Its sweet, silky and very ripe mouthfeel is completed by great cocoa overtones. Goes well with a chocolate fondant
 

Cuvée Charles 2012 Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac - 89/100
Garnet-red colour. Fine nose and discreet wood on a background of fig and soft spices. Very supple, well-balanced mouth. We can appreciate its genuine aromas that are beginning to evolve, its melted wood, its well-mastered warmth.
A high-flying Larzac.

Clairette Blanche 2013 –Clairette du Languedoc –88/100
Deep golden colour. Fine nose with white fruits, herb tea and almond. Supple and easy-drinking mouth with pure and authentic flavours. We are close to the texture and aromas. The body does not overwhelm everything on its way.
A white for gastronomy

Le Secret de Gellone 2012 Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac - 88/100
Garnet-red colour. Nose marked by typical aromas from Languedoc (fig, black olive, pepper, « garrigue »). A well-mastered structure goes along with refined and typical flavours far from being excessively warm and powerful.  
A lot of charm for this charming and tasty wine.

Les Terrasses 2013 Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac - 87/100
Fine deep colour with garnet-red tints. Clear-cut nose with ripe black fruits, spicy overall background. The mouth turns out to be particularly soft and supple with fruitiness dominating and also with freshness.
A voluptuous and easy-drinking Larzac, typical though.
 

Cuvée Charles 2012 Terrasses du Larzac - 91/ 100
Ruby colour with garnet-red hints and even the very first signs of evolution on the brim of the glass. It is deep, limpid, bright and adequately viscous with numerous tears. The nose is expressive and open, it reveals the trilogy of Languedoc wines with aromas of stewed fruits (strawberry, raspberry, cherry), Mediterranean aromas which blend spices, juniper and “tapenade” and finally aromas resulting from ageing (soft spices, salted meat, new leather). Within this complex nose, there are also overtones of liquorice, tar and graphite. The mouth is in keeping with the nose with an expressive and juicy fruit, a well-balanced ageing and a Mediterranean identity which does justice to it. This wine is quite rich, harmonious, velvety and elegant while possessing a texture, the concentration and power of which have already been softened. It is entirely successful with a lingering finish completing that sunny palette.

D.V.E. opinion : typical Languedoc which already displays a great harmony and a velvety character.

Food & Wine pairing : veal kidneys with oyster mushrooms or a baked leg of lamb with ratatouille.

Le Secret de Gellone 2012 Terrasses du Larzac - 90/ 100
A sustained garnet-red hue with a young fringe, fine aspect. It is expressive in the nose with the blending of both ageing and fruity aromas. Little by little, the aromas of roasted coffee, smoke and cocoa beans make room for  stewed fruit and black berries (blackberry, blueberry and blackcurrant) as well as macerated stone fruit like morello cherry with chocolate. Aeration adds a balsamic dimension verging on black olive and Provence herbs. In the mouth, it is rounded and classy with a softened structure which appears today harmonious, full and velvety. Its tannins are melted while keeping their dense character. On the level of aromas, we find again the same complex balance between terroir and ageing for our greatest happiness. Here we have a fine Languedoc wine, well-made, well-aged and which, in our opinion, still has great years ahead of it.

D.V.E. opinion: an engaging Mediterranean character and a softened fine texture.

Food & Wine pairing: quails coated with black cherry jam along with roasted vegetables or stewed veal breast

Les Terrasses 2013 Terrasses du Larzac - 88/ 100
Rather deep colour close to that of bigarreau cherry, with already garnet-red hints. It is limpid and bright with numerous tears, it is pleasantly viscous. The nose is highly typical with Mediterranean and balsamic aromas (“garrigue”, thyme, bayleaf, eucalyptus and spices) as well as overtones of cooked fruits not to say aromas of slightly macerated morello cherry and sloe. When aired, you can perceive flavours of salted meat, cade and liquorice. The mouthfeel is rich and full-bodied with a rather fleshy impression and intensely expressed black fruits. After it has evolved, you can feel structure, concentration with a generous texture and a genuine tannic foundation. Such density and texture as well as definite Mediterranean character are greatly appreciated. This is quality wine with tannins which are clearly expressed in the finish.

D.V.E. opinion: this is a very typical, highly-born wine which can either be appreciated now with a substantial dish or for which one can wait a little.

Food & Wine pairing: baked pork or barbecued beef ribs

The Coteaux-du-Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac Cuvée Charles 2010 (35% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 15% Carignan and 15% Mourvèdre on soils made of rounded stones, pebbles and some red clay – hand-picked grapes), characterized by hints of macerated red fruits and by a dense and lingering mouthfeel, goes perfectly well with a leg of lamb, for example.

There is also the Coteaux-du-Languedoc cuvée Terrasses du Larzac
Les Terrasses rouge 2012, with its melted tannins. It is as fleshy as it should be, rich and typical, with a deeply crimson colour and a fine scent (fresh red stone fruit, undergrowth…).

The Coteaux du Languedoc cuvée les Sigillées white 2013 blends aromatic richness and finesse with overtones of walnut and quince. It is indeed charming just like the rosé 2013 and the Clairette blanche 2013 wafting aromas of fresh almond and white peach.
 

PRESS GUIDES 2014

Clairette Blanche 2010 Clairette du Languedoc – 84/100 

Light golden yellow colour. A nose of white fruit with a hint of almond. A classical style, a rather round wine blending fruity aromas and slightly bitter notes. Fish in creamy sauce on the menu.

Les Sigillées 2011 Languedoc Rosé - 89/100

Light red colour. An inviting nose of ripe fruit, spices and mineral notes. Round and ample in the mouth, silky texture, a rich and well-balanced range of aromas. A very refined rosé to be served along with a fine dish.

Les Terrasses 2010 Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac - 87/100

Deep colour connoting youth. Intense nose with notes of Mediterranean olive-based spread “Tapenade” and black cherry as well as a hint of chocolate and mocha. Ample and powerful in the mouth with intense aromas. A peppery hint improves its finish. This wine radiates the south, the sun.

Cuvée Charles 2009 Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac - 87/100

A brightly young colour. A fine nose with a chocolate woody aroma standing out against a background of stone fruit. Well-balanced mouth endowed with great freshness. As the woody character does not hide the fruit, we appreciate its typical and straightforward aromas. A well-mastered Larzac wine.

Witiza 2009 Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac - 89/100

Deep colour, connoting youth. Fine and heady nose, delicate blending of cherry in brandy, spices and mocha. Mellow and supple mouth, delicate aromas coated with freshness. A refined Larzac wine for a most elegant match between dishes and wines.
 

Clairette Blanche 2010 – * (one star)

Charles-Walter Pacaud proves that Clairette-du-Languedoc can also stand up to Time thanks to this cuvée, one part of which is vinified in tanks and the other in barrels, and which is then left to mature slowly on fine lees. This cuvee is arrayed in a straw yellow colour and gives off a bouquet both floral and fruity as well as mineral and licorice. In the mouth, roundness dominates, in a way echoing the rounded stones and pebbles of the Villafrancian terrace upon which Clairette Blanche thrives. Here it is in no way heavy, thanks to a fine liveliness which gives energy to the whole wine. Today or in two to three years’ time, it will go well with seafood in garlic butter or an angler with bacon for example.
 

Very charming and well thought-out, the wines from this domaine definitely get off the beaten tracks and deserve to be tasted on account of their outstanding capacity to accompany meals.

Clairette Vieilles Vignes 2010 – 14,5/20

Certainly the best cuvée of the domaine, characterized by both the bitter and smooth quality of this variety that is particularly well handled here.

Les Sigillées Blanc 2012 – 13/20

Fresh and tight white wine supported by notes of citrus and exotic fruit as well as hints of bitterness. It will prove to be a worthwhile experience with the fat oysters from the Thau basin enjoyed under a shady arbour.
 

DUSSERT-GERBER

TOP APPELLATION COTEAUX-DU-LANGUEDOC
Domaine la CROIX CHAPTAL – “PREMIER GRAND VIN CLASSÉ”

A genuine and very steady quality.Undeniable know-how and quality-price ratio. Great “favourite wines”.

An estate spreading over 25ha of vineyards and 10ha of woodland. The different plots, ideally situated a few hundred yards from the cellar, are hand-harvested by a team of around fifteen people. Thus, the first sorting out of the grapes can be carried out in the vineyard. Although the owners previously worked in wine-making companies known for their innovations, they do not hesitate to revive the tradition when the latter can bring about improvements quality-wise. Hence, the red wines are the result of long macerations, of the natural decantation due to winter frosts and of a second fermentation when the first sunrays appear in spring. Traditional ageing in oak barrels goes along with regular topping up. Excellent Coteaux-du-Languedoc cuvée Terrasses du Larzac La Grive et l'Ortolan rouge 2009 mainly made from Grenache, Carignan and Syrah. Hand-picked harvest with systematic sorting out, traditional vinification with a very short stay in barrels. This wine is well-structured with aromas of small red stone fruit and smoked wood prevailing in the nose. It is a powerful wine evolving in a very promising way. The Coteaux-du-Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac Cuvée Charles 2009 (36% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 20% Carignan et 19% Mourvèdre on a soil of rounded stones and gravel with some red clay, hand-picked harvest), is characterized by notes of macerated red berries and a plump and lingering mouthfeel. It goes perfectly well with a leg of lamb. There is also the Coteaux-du-Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac cuvée Les Terrasses rouge 2009 which proves as intense in the nose as in the mouth. It is finely concentrated, its cherry-like nose is slightly spicy and still a little closed. Fine Clairette Du Languedoc 2010, 100% Clairette blanche, exhaling subtle aromas of almond and linden, a smooth but lively character with the same fine floral mouthfeel as the Coteaux-du-Languedoc Les Sigillées rosé 2012 which combines freshness and elegance and whose mouth is subtly aromatic and lingering (newly redesigned label). Do not hesitate.
 

Witiza 2009 Terrasses du Larzac - 91/ 100

Fine garnet color, of medium intensity, bright and shining, fine-looking. The nose is both pleasant and inviting. It combines on the one hand very ripe, almost candied red berries: strawberry and raspberry, black berries : blackberry, blueberry; all that blended with notes of scrubland and sweet spices: vanilla and cinnamon with a slight touch of mocha. The mouth reveals a well-structured wine, full-bodied and plump. At first, the palate is ample and round with a pure and precise expression of small black berries. When evolving, the mouthfeel remains rather crunchy and dense, the tannins are then obtrusive but noble and fine. This wine seems still young, however there is already a harmonious feeling in spite of its robust and solid character. It will delight the amateurs of strong sensations who are also attached to a certain decency and restraint, even in a display of strength. One thing is certain, it has the necessary qualities: great fruit, fine acidity and a rich texture to delight our palates.

D.V.E. suggestion: For demanding amateurs who like full-bodied wines.

Food & Wine Pairing: Venison with sweet potatoes or marengo veal.

Les Terrasses 2010 Terrasses du Larzac - 89/ 100

Fine ruby color, still young, quite deep, bright and shining with fine tears. The nose reveals very ripe red berries : crushed strawberry, raspberry but also morello cherry, with notes of spices up to a mineral, licorice hint. Giving air confirms the first nose with undertones of "garrigue", animal flavours and black olives. Fine energy with an ample, round and fleshy start. The fruit is still present. Evolution shows power with a tight and dense mouthfeel and structured tannins that stand out but remain integrated to enough body. This wine is charming and harmonious but will become even better with a little more time.

D.V.E. suggestion: Very reliable quality Mediterranean wine.

Food & Wine Pairing: Braised lamb shanks with rosemary or wild duck with kumquat.

Clairette Blanche 2010 Clairette du Languedoc - 85/ 100

Fine straw colour with golden and silver hints, clear and shining, fine-looking. The nose conjures up white fruits and stewed fruit on a vanilla and dried fruit background, and even a buttery note. The mouth is supple and fat, and reveals the rich character already perceived in the nose. The evolution is in the same tone with a full-bodied and generous texture as well as a suave expression. Well-balanced and well-made.

D.V.E. suggestion: Fat wine to pair with a fish in sauce.

Food & Wine Pairing: Sole fillet with supreme sauce or grilled turbot with seafood sauce.
 

Witiza 2009 Terrasses du Larzac -

A fine nose of roasted raspberry, spices and pepper, notes of mint and « garrigue ». The mouth is full-bodied, spicy, with notes of cherry, cocoa, toast and toasted tannins. To pair with partridge.

Les Terrasses 2010 Terrasses du Larzac -

A nose dominated by black cherry, balsamic notes and pinewood. A fleshy and fruity mouthfeel, with aromatic freshness and liquorice tannins. To pair with a casseroled veal chop.

Les Sigillées 2011 rouge Coteaux du Languedoc  -

Notes of « garrigue », spices, grilled red berries. The mouth is supple, aromatic, with cocoa tannins. To pair with grilled lamb.
 

This year again , the wine guides recommend Domaine La Croix Chaptal.
 

               GUIDE HACHETTE WINE GUIDE 2012

AOC Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé Papillon 2010– 2 stars

Charles Pacaud discovered the Terrasses du Larzac terroir while he was studying viticulture and oenology in Montpellier. His dream came true in 1999 when he bought this vineyard created by the Benedictine monks of Gellone Abbey in the Xth century. He manages the vineyard by applying eco-friendly methods : harvesting by hand, local yeasts, no chemical products. Here is a superb dark purple rosé with fuchsia glints, its nose is powerful and complex with aromas of red fruits ( raspberry, wild strawberry). It is round, soft and rich in the mouth. A slightly bitter final touch brings freshness and complexity. This is a charming rosé which can accompany a meal. Great combination with a fish pie from Sète ( tielle sétoise) or with grilled fish.

                BETTANE AND DESSEAUVE WINE GUIDE 2012

AOC Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé Les Sigillées 2009

At its best until 2012

The style of this rosé will please those who do not like rosés. With a touch of caramel when you first taste it, it may puzzle some people and delight those who appreciate a rather sweet final touch.One more year gives it surprising complexity.

It will prove to be a great experience with a meal.

               GILBERT AND GAILLARD GUIDE 2012

Clairette Blanche 2009 Clairette du Languedoc A.O.C. -  85/100

Rather deep golden colour. Fine nose with hints of hazelnut, almond and vanilla. Definitely round and lush in the mouth.  A mellow, juicy texture, very distinctive aromas of dried fruits. A white wine fit for a meal, it will go well with poultry in a cream sauce.

Les Terrasses 2007 Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac A.O.C. -  86/100

A concentrated colour with glints that bespeak evolution. A mature nose exhaling plum, black cherry and spices. The same impression of maturity is present in the mouth where stewed fruit is dominant. A straightforward and balanced Languedoc to accompany roasted meat or meats in sauce.

Cuvée Charles 2008 Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac A.O.C. -  88/100

A concentrated colour with slight orangey glints. Aromas of stewed fruit, spices and undergrowth in the nose. Perfectly mature mouth which is balanced and round and  puts forward distinct and typical aromas. Strength is present too, this is a fully achieved vintage indeed, ready to drink.

                 DUSSERT-GERBER GUIDE 2012

An estate spreading over of 25ha of vineyards and 10ha of woodland. The different plots, ideally situated a few hundred yards from the cellar, are hand-harvested by a team of around fifteen people. Thus, the first sorting out of the grapes can be carried out in the vineyard. Although the owners previously worked in wine-making companies known for their innovations, they do not hesitate to revive the tradition when the latter can bring about improvements quality-wise. Hence, the red wines are the result of long macerations,of the natural decantation due to winter frosts and of a second fermentation when the first sunrays appear in Spring. Traditional ageing in oak barrels goes along with regular topping up.

Fine Coteaux du Languedoc cuvée Déodat de Séverat 2006, low-yielding Syrah with a tinge of Grenache and Carignan. Every year, one or several plots are especially prepared for low yields (17 to 25 hl/ha).

Coteaux du Languedoc Les Sigillées rosé 2009 which displays a bright colour and a delicate nose with aromas of citrus and fresh fruit is indeed mellow and persistent.

Fine Clairette du Languedoc Vieilles Vignes 2008 Clairette Blanche, aged in new oak barrels (30%) and in tanks on lees (70%) which exhales undertones of ripe citrus fruit and narcissus, this wine is both mellow and lively.

Delicious Coteaux du Languedoc Les Sigillées Blanc 2010, a fine wine in which overall mellowness backs up a final touch characterised by aromas of fresh citrus fruit.

Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac Cuvée Charles 2008 ( about one third of each variety Grenache, Syrah and Carignan grown on soils of rounded stones and pebbles with some red clay) is harmonious in the mouth with noticeable tannins and complex aromas of small stewed fruits.

Fine Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé Papillon. Do not hesitate either.

Mark 86/100 Cuvée Charles 2001 (p 304).
Intense garnet colour. In the nose, a prevailing touch of vanilla on a background of spices and « garigue ». Smooth and full-bodied in the mouth. The scents acquired during ageing are superbly blended within a markedly mediterranean atmosphere. A final touch of pepper. A Coteaux du Languedoc which takes advantage of its maturing process.

Mark 83/100 Clairette Vieilles Vignes 2001 (p 296).
Great golden colour. Its pleasant nose reveals quince marmelade and fig. In the mouth, precise and persistent aromas turn out to be balanced and fresh. The fruit pleasantly blends with a floral note.