2012
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| Saint-Sériès - midway between Nimes and Montpellier |
| Dry red - full bodied, aged in used oak barrels |
100% Grenache (100 year-old vines)
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15.0% (I don't believe it!)
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Game, red meats, seared tuna, tomato-ey pasta dishes
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Even better
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Now, or to 2028 and beyond
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| Once again, it's Grenache Jim (from 100 year-old vines), but not as we know it! And once again, it is crammed full of plum and raspberry fruit, but with perhaps even more elegance and fleetness of foot than its predecessor. This 2012 offers a gloriously complex and intoxicating mix of red and black fruit aromas, with notes of old, polished leather, exotic spices, damp earth and fine eau de vie. The reason I question the advertised 15% abv is that there is no suggestion of heat or alcohol (other than the wonderful eau de vie note) on the nose - and even less so on the palate. There's a rush of tangy, white pepper-infused sweet-sour red cherry and bramble fruit, but the feel is light and almost ethereal. Yes, there's a healthy lick of gently rustic, tea-like tannin, but there is also a wonderfully mouth-watering and refreshing core of acidity - something that may shock lovers of the slightly soupy, rich southern Rhônestyle of Grenache, but should appeal greatly to lovers of Burgundy or (dare I say it) Claret. For now, it demands food, and - as luck would have it - we paired it with a Spaghetti Bolognese, and it was the perfect foil for the rich beef and herb flavours and the tangy tomato. That said, it is extremely verstile and would pair equally well with feathered game, red meats, or even a piece of rare-fried tuna. A delicious - and completely different - expression of Grenache, from one of Languedoc's greatest winemakers. Biodynamic. |
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