Languedoc-Roussillon Red

Rhone Report 94"Even better than the brilliant '09, with more elegance and freshness, the 2010 Chateau Puech-Haut Coteaux du Languedoc Saint-Drezery Cuvee Prestige is a custom cuvee made by Philippe Cambie and Eric Solomon. An absurd value and a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, and

Wine Advocate 94-96" Although these wines are normally reviewed by my colleagues David Schildknect in his Languedoc-Roussillon and Alsace reports and Lisa Perrotti-Brown in her reviews of Australian wines, I tasted them during my visit with Chapoutier, so I will include them in this report as they

Wine Spectator 90" A big red, powerful and concentrated, with mulberry, dark plum, blackberry and baked cherry flavors which feature notes of bacon fat and smoke. Dark chocolate pervades the muscular finish. Drink now through 2018. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 12,000 cases made." ~ KM

BEST VALUE"Minty, herbal, well-balanced and firm; full of classic regional character." ~ Eric Asimov, New York Times

Wine Advocate 89"Mingling intensely resinous evocations of scrubby garrigue with confitured black fruits, the Maris 2009 Syrah La Touge - a cuvee from less-favored Syrah sites and featuring 12-15% Grenache - displays ample body; a rich texture; and a generous as well as invigoratingly pungent

Rhone Report 94"A rough blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Carignan that's aged in older wood, the exotic, yet absolutely brilliant 2009 Domaine Jean-Louis Tribouley Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes Les Bacs (Les Bacs is the parcel where the cuvee from) is anything but mainstream with its deep, yet

Wine Advocate 91-92"Vinified under the supervision of the Domaine de l’Edre’s Jacques Castany and Pascal Dieunidou (for more in praise of whom, see issues 173 and 183), the Cabirau 2008 Cotes du Roussillon Malgre les Functionnaires (“In Spite of the Civil Servants”) combines Grenache with smaller,

Rhone Report 95"The 2009 La Peira Coteaux du Languedoc Les Terrasses du Larzac Las Flors, a blend of 55% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, and 5% Cinsault, is stylistically closer to the grand vin than to the Les Obriers de La Peira; it is certainly the best vintage of this cuvee I’ve tasted to

Robert Parker 93-94"Despite the overall shortage of wine in this vintage and their resolute attachment to Mourvedre as a core component, Hecht and Bannier manages to add at least one source and come up with around the same 300 cases of 2010 Faugeres as has characterized their previous vintages.

"A sustained and very brilliant ruby colour with beautiful violet tints. Immediate and generous with, at first, notes of fresh red fruits, such as cherries and black fruits, such as blueberries. Next, the richness develops with notes of cacao powder and a delicate touch of liquorice. Round and

Robert Parker 90Thunevin-Calvet's tank-raised Grenache-Carignan 2008 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Constance - all from Maury and all grown on schist - displays pungent struck-flint and peat overtones, along with cocoa powder that one associates with its genre, nicely accenting richly ripe but in

Wine Spectator 86"Friendly cherry, damson plum and herb notes are lined with a hint of lavender, followed by a lightly dusty finish. Drink now. 80,000 cases imported."

Wine Spectator 94"Ripe yet elegant, with concentrated flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, tar and dark chocolate. There’s lots of cream and spice midpalate, with a dollop of smoke, followed by a lilting finish of black licorice and bittersweet chocolate, with hints of mint. Drink now through

Wine Advocate 90-91"Tasted as a pre-assemblage (although I also tasted the individual components), La Peira’s Cinsault-Carignan 2009 Les Obriers de la Peira is initially smoky and nutty in a slightly reduced way, needing aeration to reveal more diverse and alluring scents of hibiscus, mulberry,

Wine Advocate 93-94"Despite the overall shortage of wine in this vintage and their resolute attachment to Mourvedre as a core component, Hecht and Bannier manages to add at least one source and come up with around the same 300 cases of 2010 Faugeres as has characterized their previous vintages.

"This bolder Rooster is packed with ripe strawberry, red berries and spice on the opulent nose. It is an intense wine with a smooth, full-mouth feel and a soft, spicy lingering finish. This wine will marry perfectly with all your grilled meat and heartier foods." ~ Winery notes

Robert Parker 90-91+"Hecht and Bannier's 2010 Minervois is as usual Syrah-dominated, with Grenache and Carignan. This combines the extra measure of glycerin and jam-like touch to its dark cherry and black raspberry fruits that we found in 2009 with a depth of mineral dimension; high-toned herbal

"Extracted aromas of crushed cherry and spring rhubarb pie are delicately framed by seasoned french oak. The entry is vibrant and powerful which leads to luscious flavors of wild strawberry that perfectly rounds out the mid-palate. Ripe blackberry and blueberry notes coalesce to form an intense and

Rhone Report 96+"Deeper in color and much more dense, reserved, and even backwards, the 2009 Bosc Negre is a slightly longer term prospect and is a blend of 80% Mourvèdre and 20% Grenache that had the Mourvèdre aged all in new barrel and the Grenache in tank. Meaning “black woods” and named after

Robert Parker 90"The outstanding 2011 Les Maros is a blend of 60% old vine Grenache and the rest equal parts Carignan and Cinsault. The average age of the vines is at least 40 years. This stunning wine boasts abundant amounts of kirsch liqueur, licorice, new saddle leather, peppery spice box and