Chateau De Mattes Sabran Corbieres Dionysos 2007
-
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Ordinarily, I would not review unfinished wines for a values issue, but when I tasted it, the 2007 Corbieres Dionysis was priced and ready for bottling (of which there are normally several, unfiltered runs), and it would be a shame not to get word out about its quality. Black cherry, cardamom, and toasted pralines on the nose lead to a rich yet effusively juicy palate with satisfying notes of beef stock and chocolate mingling with ripe black cherry. A faint tannic grit in no way detracts from one's enjoyment nor from this wine's inevitable versatility at table.
In addition to a noble history stretching back some 1,000 years, Mattes-Sabran epitomizes all we love about the slow pace of life in the sultry south. The main house, once home to dukes, today welcomes international visitors while geese and lazy cats wander. Cicadas buzz in the afternoon heat; a well-worn table welcomes outdoor meals with shared bottles in the shade.
Yet Mattes-Sabran is also about serious terroir and top-notch wines. Many estate vineyards are located on steep hillsides, terraced into the chalky, poor soils. This tough terrain is peppered with galets roulés, the large, oval granite stones typical in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Reds are structured, mineral and richly perfumed; rosés floral and boldly flavored.