Bila-Haut by Michel Chapoutier Occultum Lapidem 2007
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Robert
Parker
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Deep, dark and seductive red. Sumptuous ripe red fruits are enveloped by a twang of provençale herbs and spice. Scents of coffee and liquorice dominate the attack. The wine is very concentrate and ripe with warm fruit through the mid palate. The finish is long and rich in tannin. This wine can be kept for 5-6 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah planted in a mixture of gneiss, schist, and chalk, and vinified half each in tank and barrel (demi-muids as well as barriques), the 2007 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France Occultum Lapidem smells of violets, toasted walnuts, cassis, licorice, rosemary, roasted meats, and sea breeze. The influence of Syrah – which, understandably, tends to be featured in slightly larger percentages in Bila-Haut wines than in most of Roussillon – is very much in evidence. Fascinating suggestions of brine and iodine, resinous southern French herbs and exotic spices, inform the deeply fruited as well as richly carnal palate, where a caressing polish and tender, ultra-refined tannins make themselves subtly felt. The finish here is bright and refreshing even as it is profoundly rich. If there are two words I would use, Troullier took them right out of my mouth: “dense,” and “active.” I imagine this incredible value and remarkable performance for its vintage will be well worth following for 5-7 years.
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Domaine Bila-Haut is owned by the well known Rhone Valley Oenologist, Michel Chapoutier. The name refers to an old farm villa which was built high into the mountain slopes , among some old vineyards. The Domaine comprises 75 hectares of land cultivated under bio-dynamic farming techniques and is characterized by steep pebbly slopes rising from almost 150 meters above sea level. The soil has 3 components…Schiste, Gneiss and Clay, and the Grape varieties are Grenache, Carignan, and of course Syrah. The cool winters and very hot summers combined with little rain, and the drying Mistral breeze during the growing season is perfection for these varietals…in some respects better than in the Rhone Valley. The Domaine is located in the commune of Latour-de-France…just about as close as you can be to Spain, but still be located in France, with a great deal of history related to the Nights Templar, and the Cathar movement, hence the T in the title of the Domaine shaped like the Nights Templar Cross.The wines exhibit the distinctive pepper and spice of Syrah, but are bigger and rounder in the mouth, with great complexity coming from the Carignan and Grenache. Here is A Rhone producer getting the best out of the Terroir in Lanquedoc… a superb combination! And one of the best Wine Makers in France.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
An appellation solely for dry red wines from Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon-Villages is a step up in quality compared to, simply, Côtes du Roussillon. The area is in the northern third of Roussillon, bordered on its southern end by the Têt River, which runs precisely from west to east. Five villages can append their own name to the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages appellation name: Caramany, Latour de France, Lesquerde, Tautavel and the last, south of the Têt River, Les Aspres.
Côtes du Roussillon-Villages red wines are blends made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and small amounts of Carignan, Cinsault and the lesser known, Lledoner Pelut (a relative of Grenache).