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Wine Specifics
Winery: Michael Chapoutier
VARIETAL: Carignan, Grenache, Syrah
REGION: Roussillon, France
WINE TYPE: Red Wine
From the hills of Corbières to the Pyrénées mountains, Roussillon is the sunniest region in France, overlooking Banyuls & the Mediterranean on the Spanish border. Maison M. Chapoutier, founded in 1808, has long enjoyed a reputation for honest, sturdy wines in the Rhône Valley, but since Michel took over in the early 90s, the firm has expanded & improved. Robert M. Parker, Jr. has said Chapoutier's is the most significant jump in quality he has ever seen. Since its founding, the motto of the M. Chapoutier winery has always been the ancient Latin proverb, fac et spera, “create and hope.” In many ways, these words of wisdom are good advice for the winemaker in general: work hard and hope for the best. Here’s a quote from M. Chapoutier that best exemplifies his winemaking philosophy: "When I started, I wanted to make powerhouse wines, but that's making noise, not music. Now my aim is to make elegant wines with long finishes." The Domaine is located about as close as you can be to Spain, but still be located in France, with a great deal of history related to the Knights Templar, and the Cathar movement, hence the stylized “T” in the title of the Domaine shaped like the Knights Templar Cross.
Listed #75 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009.
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Deep red garnet color, super ripe nose. A muscular blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan - this characterful red is full of warm, concentrated flavors of dark cherry, plum, raspberry tart and fig with sweet, meaty tannins. The wine is extraordinarily well-structured for a wine @ this eminently affordable price point. Bila-Haut reflects the heat & the wildness of the hot southern- French Roussillon area, but this is not a fruit bomb; it has the structure & feel of a more high-altitude wine. Best drunk from 2010 through 2014.
Reviewed by: Michael
Food Pairing
The fat & smoke of Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks are the perfect match for this meaty red.
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