Winemaker Notes
Deep red garnet in color. Black cherries on the nose. Well-structured on the palate with sweet meaty tannins. The wine had the heat and wildness of the Roussillon area.
Pair with a nice piece of beef or Mediterranean food.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A tank-raised blend of Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah from gneiss and schist sites in various parts of the Agly Valley, Chapoutier’s 2007 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Les Vignes de Bila-Haut possesses an alluring aroma and lovely, deep richness of black raspberry, cherry, and roasted meat, augmented by toasted pecans, coriander, and resinous herbs. With rarified tannins and a vividly juicy fresh fruit presence, this represents an irresistible introduction to its genre for immediate enjoyment, yet the structure here is tightly-enough knit, the balance impeccable, the entire performance loaded with energy, so I see no reason to doubt that this amazing value will be a delight 2-3 years from now as well.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
An appellation solely for dry red wines from Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon-Villages is a step up in quality compared to, simply, Côtes du Roussillon. The area is in the northern third of Roussillon, bordered on its southern end by the Têt River, which runs precisely from west to east. Five villages can append their own name to the Côtes du Roussillon-Villages appellation name: Caramany, Latour de France, Lesquerde, Tautavel and the last, south of the Têt River, Les Aspres.
Côtes du Roussillon-Villages red wines are blends made from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and small amounts of Carignan, Cinsault and the lesser known, Lledoner Pelut (a relative of Grenache).