|
Home >
Caro's Wine Shop >
Regions >
France >
Southern France
|
|
Given that their coastal facility on the Etang de Thau puts them cheek-by-jowl not only with the vineyards of Picpoul de Pinet but with a wealth of seafood and seafood restaurants; and that they had established generic bottlings of Languedoc red and rose of exceptional quality-price rapport, Hecht & Bannier's white 2010 Languedoc was a natural development. But instead of it's being by appellation a Picpoul de Pinet - which, as they rightly note, is not exactly (sadly) an internationally-known mark of quality - they took the liberty of playing around and found that an admixture of 10-15% Roussanne (from the Garde) brought floral and texturally rich dimensions to the luscious melon, pear, and fig fruit and saliva-inducingly saline minerality of the Picpoul. I think I've just captured the essence of this 2010 - which I tasted the day it was bottled - and you should require no further inducement, though I can tell you that I took the bottle for a spin in a local restaurant and found its versatility almost as prodigious as that of its rose counterpart." 89/100 R. Parker
|
|
|
|
|
"Hecht & Bannier 2009 Saint-Chinian - due to be bottled this summer - favors Syrah from chalk-clay rather than schist sites. A chewy streak of tannin such as one won't usually encounter at this address manages fortunately to meet its match in sheer richness of dark cherry fruit, while undertones of dark chocolate, licorice, and toasted walnut add bittersweet depth that persists in a resonant, baritonal finish. Saline and alkaline mineral notes add interest and invigoration and for all of its richness and emphasis on low-tones, this evinces remarkable buoyancy, no doubt thanks in large part to its alcohol having been held to 13.4%. Look for at least 5-7 years of delight from this."93-94/100 R.Parker
|
|
|
|
|
Constituting 40% Syrah from relatively early-picked schistic sites in St.-Chinian (selected specifically with pink wine in mind) as well as from Minervois, and with 40% Cinsault, the Hecht & Bannier 2010 Languedoc Rose delivers not just fresh, tart-edged cherry fruit, and invigoratingly pungent herbal inflections, but also luscious blood orange and an astonishing array of mineral nuances including utterly mouthwatering salinity, all of which promises terrific versatility at table over the coming year. This is about as vividly fresh-fruited, exuberant, vibrant, and capital-"M" mineral as you could ask for in any wine! 91/100 R.Parker
|
|
|
|
|
One of Metro Magazine's 100 Wines for Summer "The south of France is home to many blush or rose wines and here is a classic example. A pale salmon colour, with delicate blossom and raspberry aromas, the palate is poised, earthy and just off dry, a nice degree of bitterness holding things in check".
|
|
|
|
|
Domaine de l'Hortus's dramatic location up against the cliffs of the Hortus and Pic Saint-Loup massifs themselves and offering shallow terraces with exposures ranging from north-facing for whites and Syrah (some propagated from Clape and Verset budwood) to south-facing for Mourvedre (from Tempier), sets it apart from other properties in its sub-appellation, and Languedoc pioneer Jean Orliac brings an unprecedented three decades of familiarity with this rocky realm of scree and iron- and quartzite-rich limestone. A blend of Syrah and Mourvedre "Black cherry, violets, and fennel on the noe with a creamy palate, with richly ripe fruit flavors and a twist of savory meatiness." A beaut from Southern France
|
|
|
|
|
