M.Chapoutier Bila-Haut Cotes du Roussillon Lesquerda, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 2018

Description

Appearance: the colour is intense, deep and steady. Nose: first nose remarkably fresh, it shows maturity with aromas of black fruits and warm spices. We find the soils of origin are revealed with floral notes (violet) which are lightly smoky. We can find the same aromatic notes on the Northern Côtes-du-Rhône soils, which are the birthplace of the Syrah. Palate: it shows maturity with aromas of black fruits and warm spices. We find the soils of origin are revealed with floral notes (violet) which are lightly smoky. We can find the same aromatic notes on the Northern Côtes du-Rhône soils, which are the birthplace of the Syrah.

No name is more closely associated with the greatness of the Rhone valley than M. Chapoutier.

The history of the Chapoutier family stretches back to the early nineteenth century when current owner Michel Chapoutier's great-, great-, great-grandfather Marius purchased an estate and some vineyards in the now famous village of Tain l'Hermitage in the Northern Rhône Valley. Marius Chapoutier made history in the region when he became the first grape grower there to vinify his own fruit. Marius had tasted wines other winemakers produced using his fruit and he realized that something was lost in translation, so to speak. He knew that he owned some of the best growing sites in the appellation and he believed -- rightly -- that the grapes grown in his vineyards could produce long-lived world-class wines. In a move unusual at the time, he decided that he should make the wine himself. Not only did the quality of the wines increase greatly, but this move provided the capital to expand the Chapoutiers' already legendary estate.

A visionary and pioneer in biodynamic winemaking, his restless energy and unconditional commitment to quality have produced tremendous success, with the most 90+ point ratings of all Rhône producers and 16 "100 point" rated wines.

Jeb Dunnuck 94

Coming from higher elevation granite soils and just about all Syrah, the 2018 Côtes Du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde L'Esquerda offers stunning granite character with its cassis and black raspberry fruit intermixed with lots of wet stone, ground pepper, white flowers, and hints of truffle. Deep, medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure and elegant on the palate, with light tannins, it's going to keep for upwards of a decade.