Mas Combarèla
Olivier Faucon had just finished the harvest, literally the morning of our visit in the afternoon of 1st October. It had been fairly drawn out with the first grapes picked on 25th August, but he was happy about the vintage. It is un joli millésime, with balance and freshness, and slightly lower alcohol levels, the result of the sunshine, and some rain. First we had a look at his cellar. He has concrete vats, fibre glass vats and stainless steel vats as well as barriques and amphorae made of sandstone, and some concrete eggs. Olivier explained how he has altered the composition of his vineyard, some grafting, of Mourvèdre on to Grenache in 2017, and then Carignan Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Vermentino in 2018, also on to Grenache, for a first harvest in 2020. He obtained his cuttings from Cal Demoura. We tasted his current wines.
2022 Des Si et des Mi, St Guilhem le Désert 16€
70% Grenache Blanc, 15% Carignan Blanc,10% Vermentino, 5% Chenin Blanc. 90% in stainless steel, and 10% in oak barrels for 10 months before blending. A little colour. A lightly honeyed nose. Quite rounded with good acidity, saline notes and a fresh finish.
2022 l’Eclat, St Guilhem le Désert - 27€
A blend of Carignan Blanc and Chenin Blanc, aged in barrels and amphorae. Chenin Blanc is not included in the Languedoc appellations for white wine, but things will change, and rightly so, when the Terrasses du Larzac becomes an appellation for white as well as red wine, with the putative appellation including Chenin Blanc, which has in any case been grown in the region for a number of years.
Light golden colour. Dry honey on the nose and palate, with a touch of well integrated oak. A mere 12.5% but very satisfying mouthfeel and texture.
Des So et Des Mi, Terrasses du Larzac - 16€
50% Grenache, with Carignan and Syrah and smaller amounts of Cinsault and Mourvèdre. Kept in stainless steel. A short cuvaison with the aim of fruit, and easy drinking. Medium colour. A touch of liqueur cherries on the nose and palate, balanced with a streak of tannin, with ripe fruit. A modest 13.5%
2022 Le Clos Secret, St. Guilhem-le-Desert - 20€
Pure Cinsault and 50 year old low-yielding vines, from a small vineyard that is surrounded by woods, rather than a wall, to make it a clos. It is like a secret garden, that you approach along a narrow path through the trees. Medium colour. Perfumed fruit. Very fragrant red fruit on both nose and palate. Some depth and length on the finish. Medium weight. And very elegant and appealing.
2022 Les Vieux Mazots, St Guilhem-le-Désert - 20€
From old Carignan, a 75 year old vineyard by the cellar, which is off the road from Montpeyroux to St. Jean de Fos. Deep colour. Quite a firm nose and a firm structured palate with red fruit and tannin. Youthful and fresh. Aged in a large foudre for 24 months. Carignan needs to breathe.
2022 Ode aux Ignorants, Terrasses du Larzac - 23€
50% Syrah, with Grenache and Carignan and a little Mourvèdre. Two thirds of the blend is aged in barrel and the rest in a concrete egg and also a stainless steel tank. Quite a deep young colour, with firm peppery fruit on both nose and palate. Medium weight with youthful tannins and pleasing fruit.
2022 Lueurs d’Espar, Terrasses du Larzac - 38€
75% Mourvèdre - Espar is an old synonymy for Mourvèdre - with some Carignan and Syrah. Thirty months ageing in new wood and a small percentage in amphorae. A percentage of each wine will always be unoaked. Very deep colour. Firm rich nose and palate. Ripe black fruit, with firm tannins good length. Sturdy and youthful with a certain freshness of the finish. but also quite powerful at 14.5%.
A very well thought out range of red wines, each showing the characteristics of the dominant grape variety.
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