Just a quick post to say that I'm back in the UK after an extremely enjoyable trip to southern France for Vinisud. For 4 days I immersed myself in joys of being in the wine business (and, of course, being in a place that I love to be) and nothing else mattered. Unfortunately, I'm now fully integrated back into the daily grind and catching up on all the things that have been left unattended during that time. I'll be posting lots of entries over the next few days about the experiences of Vinisud and various related events, the people, and of course the wines. Meanwhile, here's a note on a lovely wine we opened last night, from one of the growers I met at Vinisud and hope to be working with in the near future.
Domaine de La Marfée Les Vignes Qu'on Abat 1999 Coteaux du Languedoc
I bought a few bottles of this wine a year or two ago, purely for my own enjoyment, and still have one or two left. Still deep purple in colour, with just the slightest tell-tale hint of lightness on the narrow rim. The nose offers some wonderful secondary notes of tobacco and polished wood, but still has the sort of dense crystallised blackcurrant and bramble fruit aromas that appear to be the hallmark of all Marfée's wines. Background notes of garrigue herbs and leather add yet more complexity. At over 10 years old, the palate is really just beginning to get into its stride, with luscious yet mouth-watering flavours of cassis, bramble, herbs and spices, wrapped around a backbone of juicy acidity and remarkably fine tannins. The finish is long and warming, but so fresh and juicy. It is truly a joy to drink now, but I would say it will stay on its plateau for at least another 5 to 8 years.
A glorious expression of (100%) Carignan!
A glorious expression of (100%) Carignan!
Do keep checking back over the next few days, as I'll be posting lots of interesting stuff every day for a while (including some brief notes on the current range of wines from Domaine de La Marfée).
2 comments:
I had this cuvee from a later vintage at ViniSud! Sooo good.
I tasted the whole range of 2007's at Vinisud Ryan, and they were superb. Which is why I opened the 1999 when I got home. I will be publishing my notes on the 2007's very soon.
Incidentally, a friend picked up some more of the 1999 at an auction in the UK yesterday, for around 12 Euros a bottle. Unfortunately, there were only 6 bottles, which have to be split 3 ways. :-(
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