91 PTS LAS COMBES 2012
More expensive, yet still an excellent value, the 2012 Combes is 100% Grenache that was fermented and aged in older wood. Strawberry, blackberry, kirsch, licorice, and spice all show here, and this medium bodied, rounded, supple and beautifully textured 2012 will impress over the coming 4-5 years.
If Cabernet Sauvignon is your serious dinner party guest, then Grenache is your new best friend; warm, generous and bursting with personality it's extremely loveable. Grenache grapes flourish on the sunny Minervois slopes and ripen into sweet, juicy fruit bombs with soft tannins over the long summer.
The final wine has a pretty, deep magenta hue and an attractive scent of sweet damson fruits and black chocolate. It tastes equally enticing, brimming with cassis soaked black fruits and sweet spice. Velvety smooth with a long, lingering finish this wine is hugely versatile and will drink very nicely with all sorts of robustly flavoured foods. We think it's especially good with sausage, lentil and salami casserole.
The Soils
The soils are brown through to red. The vineyard sites for this wine are formed on sedimentary rock with red, de-calcified clay.
Geology
Alluvial formation from the Quaternary period, coming from major river floods. 2 major types of rock: ‘Marin de l’Heridien (oceanic, tertiary era) and ‘Continentaux lacustres (oceanic)
Grape Variety
100% Grenache
The Wine
VInification: Vinified in wooden casks with gentle pumping over and ‘pigeage’ (punching down) for a long four-week maceration.
Ageing: 100% in oak for twelve months.
Tasting Note:
Colour: Deep purple.
Nose: Elegant and complex: cassis and grenadine with roasted coffee beans and cherry.
Palate: Rich, smooth and juicy with generous fruit.