Country: | France |
Regions: | Rhone Gigondas |
Winery: | Clos des Cazaux |
Grape Type: | Grenache |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Cazaux Gigondas Tour Sarrasine is made from 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. 45 year old vines on average.
Intense, persistent red and dark fruit aromas. Raspberry, pepper and spice flavors. Silky tannins.
Enjoy with game meat or strong cheeses.
Review:
"Bright violet color. The fragrant and incisive nose displays vibrant red fruit, floral and spice qualities. Shows very good energy and detail on the palate, offering nervy bitter cherry and redcurrant flavors and a hint of garrigue. Closes long and spicy, with resonating fruit and floral notes. - Josh Raynolds - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (January 2023), 92-94 pts
Cazaux Gigondas Tour Sarrasine is made from 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. 45 year old vines on average.
This strong, warm wine comes from a selection of grapes planted on exceptional soils. The vineyards in Gigondas are situated on the arid hills of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The Mistral blows regularly on these slopes which limits the amount of treatment needed to the vines. The vines grow on stony soils and produce wine that can be kept easily for 10 yrs.
Intense, persistent red and dark fruit aromas. Raspberry, pepper and spice flavors. Silky tannins.
Cazaux Gigondas Cuvee Prestige is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre.
A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre produced from the oldest vines of the estate and only in the years of highest grape quality. Aromas of prune, chocolate, spices, fruit brandy and plum. Rounded tannins and a long finish.
Red meats aged, venison
Review:
"I was also able to taste the late-release 2020 Gigondas Cuvée Prestige, which is 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre that was brought up in barrel. It has a rocking nose of Provençal spices, saddle leather, dried flowers, and assorted strawberry and raspberry fruit. It's medium to full-bodied, has fine tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. Count me in as a fan. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 7-8 years."
- Jeb Dunnuck (October 30th 2023), 94 pts
Cazaux Gigondas Cuvee Prestige is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre.
A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre produced from the oldest vines of the estate and only in the years of highest grape quality. Aromas of prune, chocolate, spices, fruit brandy and plum. Rounded tannins and a long finish.
Red meats aged, venison
Review:
"Not yet bottled, the 2019 Gigondas Cuvée Prestige checks in as 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre, all from the older vines of the estate and vinified and aged in barrel. There are a tiny 700 cases produced. A terrific nose of red and black fruits, Provençal garrigue, and subtle spicy oak is followed by remarkable purity of fruit, silky tannins, and a great finish. it has a touch of modern character which is going to integrate with 2-3 years of bottle age, and it will have 10-15 years or more of prime drinking.."
- Jeb Dunnuck (January 2022), 91-93+ pts
Cazaux Vacqueyras Rouge Grenat Noble 100% Grenache.
This wine is the result of extraordinary weather conditions. The first cuvée was produced in 1992 when violent storms and floods affected the region (especially Vaison la Romaine). The following days were radiant and accompanied by Mistral winds. We could then continue to harvest or more precisely harvest what remained of a rotten crop - but a noble rotten crop!
Following our first involuntary test of 1992, we wanted to reproduce this wine but we had to wait until 1995 to isolate the parcels that were capable of producing this noble rot. Unfortunately, the "noble" phenomenon does not occur every year despite late harvests (October 15).
The resulting wine is offers aromas of small red berries (cherries, raspberries), liquorice, fig, honey, fruit brandy and plum. It is elegant, supple and smooth on the palate with a firm, generous and suave structure. A beautiful length on spices and cherry.
This Grenache nectar marries will with dishes such as pan-fried foie gras in honey and fig preserve, leg of lamb with preserved fruits accompanied by local cereal "epautre" or other sweet and sour dishes.
Review:
"Not yet bottled, the 2020 Vacqueyras Grenat Noble should also be outstanding. Based mostly on Grenache, but with a small amount of Mourvèdre, it has a Provençal bouquet of red and black fruits, dried garrigue, toasted nuts, and spice. Rich, medium-bodied, and nicely textured, with a great finish, I'd be thrilled to have a bottle on the dinner table. It will keep through 2032."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2023), 91-93 pts
Cazaux Vacqueyras Rouge Cuvee Saint Roch 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre.
Deep color. Intense and persistent red fruits, such as strawberry and black cherry. Expressive and delicate at the same time. The finish is long and the tannins are quite round and well balanced.
Grapes are hand picked, destemmed 100% but not crushed. About 20 days fermentation according to vintage. Aged in stainless steel tanks for 12 months and an additional 12 months in enamel coated concrete tank. No fining, light filtration.
Enjoy this wine with meat cooked in red wine sauce (such as Boeuf Bourguignon).
Cazaux Gigondas Tour Sarrasine is made from 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. 45 year old vines on average.
Intense, persistent red and dark fruit aromas. Raspberry, pepper and spice flavors. Silky tannins.
Enjoy with game meat or strong cheeses.
Review:
"The 2020 Gigondas La Tour Sarrasine follows suit and is also loaded with charm and character. Lots of up-front red and black fruits, classic, spicy aromatics, moderate acidity, and medium to full-bodied richness all characterize this 2020 barrel sample. A blend of 70% Grenache and 15% Each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, it has all the right components, and my money is on it being an outstanding bottle of wine."
- Jeb Dunnuck (January 2022), 91-93 pts
The Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux Estate
The Domaine was founded in 1905 by Gabriel Archimbaud and is now run by Maurice Vache and his two sons Jean-Michel and Frederic. The Archimbaud and Vache families are among the oldest ones in Vacqueyras. The oldest part of the property dates back to the 12th century and belonged to "Les Chevaliers de l'Ordre des Templiers" (the Templar Knights). An ancient Moorish Tower sits on the property, the Tower of Sarrasine in ruins.
The Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux Vineyard
The estate spreads over 40 hectares (98.8 acres) of vineyard land:
- 25 ha in Gigondas. The quality of the soil is outstanding and the sun exposure is optimal due to the special location of the vineyard, surrounded by the rocky massif of the "Dentelles de Montmirail", upon which is built the Sarrasine tower.
- 15 ha in Vacqueyras, on sandy-clayey and sunny slopes.
The vineyards are planted to 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. The vines are 40-50 year old. The annual production is 8,800 to 10,000 cases. The average yield is 28 hl/ha.
The vines are cultivated with utmost respect to the environment. Only Bordeaux mixture (antifungal agent consisting of a solution of copper sulfate and quicklime) and sulfur is used in the phytosanitary (pertaining to the health of plant) and vineyard treatment. At all times, the vineyards are manually tended, including manual harvest. To ensure optimal quality, only the best grapes are selected during a green harvest in Summer which eliminates at least 20% of the production.
Each grape variety is picked at its optimum maturity and vinified separately. Syrah is usually harvested first, followed by Grenache and then Mourvèdre. The whole clusters are placed into specially equipped bins having a screw in the bottom that allow the grapes to fall into the tanks without any crushing. This near carbonic fermentation period depends on the grape varieties and the conditions. When the fermentation is complete, the varietal wines are blended together (typically in November).
The maturation takes place first in stainless steel tanks for the juice to settle, then in concrete or enamel tanks. The wines mature in the cellars for at least 2 years before bottling. There is no fining, and only a light filtration to limit the natural deposit on the bottle.
B Leighton Petit Verdot is made from 100 percent Petit Verdot.
Dark and brooding. Vibrant, beautiful and tantalizes the senses with violets, black cassis, pipe tobacco and forest floor. Elegant, fresh, deep and refined. It continues with black raspberry, ocean breeze, orange zest and a touch of fresh herbs. Need I say more? Drink up, buttercup.
Review:
Bright ruby-red. Inky blackberry, licorice and menthol on the slightly portiike nase. Dense, sweet and surprisingly supple on the plate but,with a touch of inkiness to its broad blackcurrant, blackberry, licorice and graphite flavors. An element of peppery vinosity contrioutes to the impression of firmness, as do the tight tannins. This very long, savory Wine is stil a bit folded in on itself and will quire patience. Inerestingly, Leighton keeps this wine on its skin for "only" 35 days, which is actually less than many of his other red wines under the B. Leighton, K Vintners and Wines of Substance labels. He also destems this, fruit.
-Stephen Tanzer 92+ Points
Monteagrelo Cabernet Franc has beautiful ruby red with purple highlights.
It displays aromas of ripe red berries with a nice wood smoke complexity, thanks to the aging in French oak barrels. The wine has a very good structure, but the tannins are still quite round and integrated.
Aged in French and American oak barrels for 15 months. No filtration and no fining.
The finish is very long and will allow the wine to be consumed with food, such as grilled meat or cheese.
Review:
"From the Uco Valley, the 2019 Cabernet Franc Monteagrelo was aged in French vats for 10 months. A light purple in hue, the precise, expressive nose presents notes of green pepper, blackcurrant and ash with hints of jalapeño. Smooth with a broad palate, the flow is corseted a little by the mild freshness, as is the bold finish. A delicate red of a kind you rarely see in a Cabernet Franc. - Joaquín Hidalgo"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (November 2021), 92 pts
Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge is made from 30% each Grenache and Mourvèdre, with 10% each Counoise and Syrah, plus 20% other permitted varieties, including a healthy proportion of white grapes.
The story :
Château de Beaucastel has long been considered one of the great wines of France. It is unanimously renowned for its balance, elegance and ageing potential. Beaucastel has an extraordinary terroir at the Northern end of the appellation with heavy exposure to the Mistral. All 13 varieties of the appellation have been organically grown here since the sixties.
Location :
Châteauneuf du Pape, between Orange and Avignon, Château de Beaucastel red is a 70-hectare vineyard.
Terroir :
Château de Beaucastel is 110 hectares, with one single plot at the north of the appellation. The terroir is archetypal of the best terroirs in Châteauneuf: rolled pebbles on the surface, sand, clay and limestone deeper down. The vines are old and have been organically grown for 50 years, which has allowed the roots to grow exceptionally deep.
Beaucastel grows all thirteen grape varieties authorised by the appellation.
Ageing :
Each variety is harvested manually and separately. Vinification is completed in truncated oak barrels for the reductive grapes (Mourvèdre and Syrah) and in traditional tiled cement tanks for the oxidative grapes (such as Grenache). After the malolactic fermentations, the family blends the different varieties and then the wine ages in oak Foudres for a year before bottling.
Review:
deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. (MW) (9/2022)
-Decanter 96 Points
Michelet Courtaullt Chablis AOC is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Golden colored and very aromatic with white flowers, fresh fruit, lime, citrus aromas as well as a bergamot. Pleasant mouthfeel, supple, crisp, fruity flavors. There is a touch of acidity, revealing a deliciously integrated minerality.This Chablis is produced from vineyards located on slopes benefiting from a mainly south, southwest sun exposure in villages of the Northwestern part of the Chablis area (Lignorelles, Beine, Villy and Chablis).
Ideal as an aperitif, the wine is an excellent companion to seafood, smoked salmon for example.