Mas Carlot Clairette de Bellegarde 2009
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Enticing aromas of ripe apricot, orange blossom, peach and pineapple. Full and luscious wine characterized by further notes of stone fruits, leather, dried herbs and anise. Mouth creamy but not heavy, finish with a soft tip perfect for grilled fish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Mas Carlot fashions one of the most distinctive wines in France, the Clairette de Bellegarde, from vines planted in 1947. The 2009 is the finest example of this cuvee I have yet tasted. Floral notes intermixed with hints of tangerines, nectarines, white peaches and wet rocks emerge from this light to medium-bodied white. It represents a naked expression of winemaking that has lots of finesse, perfume and overall character. Drink it over the next 1-2 years
Other Vintages
2010-
Robert
Parker
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
An extensive appellation producing a diverse selection of good quality and great values, Languedoc spans the Mediterranean coast from the Pyrenees mountains of Roussillon all the way to the Rhône Valley. Languedoc’s terrain is generally flat coastal plains, with a warm Mediterranean climate and frequent risk of drought.
Virtually every style of wine is made in this expansive region. Most dry wines are blends with varietal choice strongly influenced by the neighboring Rhône Valley. For reds and rosés, the primary grapes include Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. White varieties include Grenache Blanc, Muscat, Ugni Blanc, Vermentino, Macabéo, Clairette, Piquepoul and Bourbelenc.
International varieties are also planted in large numbers here, in particular Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The key region for sparkling wines here is Limoux, where Blanquette de Limoux is believed to have been the first sparkling wine made in France, even before Champagne. Crémant de Limoux is produced in a more modern style.