'1903' 2022
(old vine Carignan)

Le Roc des Anges
Cotes Catalanes
Latour de France,
Languedoc

$51.99 on 4+ US Low
*$54.99 reg
*comp at $60-70
ok to mix match

Me/Winery: The flagship wine of Roc des Anges, this is a great exhibit of what great winegrowing, winemaking and a great site can produce here. "It is our « root » wine, where it all began. Its vigorousness leads the way. Its strong character requires patience. In fine, carignan grown on these schist soils delivers a silky, intense wine."
Winery: Parcels of white, grey and red cultivars. The parcels have been replanted with white cultivars and a few red cultivars. Two years ago, we have added some grenache gris, blanc and noir, picpoul and cinsault. The wine gets its colour from the subtle use of the different red cultivars: this light pink comes from the terroir, not the winemaking.
Tasting Note: (This took 2-3 hours to get here, the next day it was even more giving and complete) A very expressive and fragrant nose - at once dark and robust, but then conversely elegant and refined - intensity with lift and light. The fruit spectrum is a mix of dark red - to blue - to elegant black fruits: cherry, blackberry, elderberry, blueberries, and currants accompanied by harmonious provencal herbs like rosemary and thyme. The tannin are med/med+ and nicely polished with refreshing acidity (medium), finishing med+ at first but with air grew to a long, pretty, and persistently perfumed finish. (Serve with a slight chill, maybe 65-ish just above cellar temp)

• Variety: Carignan
• Vine Age: Three parcels all planted in 1903 plus some Las Trabasseres planted in 1913
• Terroir: Schists
• Viticulture: Organic (certified, practicing since 2008) and biodynamic (certified, practicing since 2011)
• Winemaking: Mostly destemmed. Ambient yeast fermentation with pieds de cuve in closed concrete tanks for 7 days, then pressed and racked back to tank to finish fermentation. No temperature control. No punching down or pump overs. Aged in tank. No fining, light filtration. Total sulfur at bottling 30 to 50ppm.