Winemaker Notes
Each of the varietals in the blend offers up their unique flavors to combine a refreshing and crisp wine with “high resoulution” of flavors. The Grenache gives the wine a citrus attack with hints of Lime rind while the Grenache Gris adds medium body, a roundness and hint of Melon in the mid-palate. The Macabeo supplies the crisp mineral flavors with an almost saline note in the lingering finish. It is WAY better than Sauvignon Blanc and much more unique and rare.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Even better than the Les Vignes de Bila Haut Blanc cuvee, the 2016 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France Occultum Lapidem Blanc is 90% Grenache Blanc and 10% Vermentino that’s all from schists terroirs and aged in equal parts new, once and twice used demi-muids. White peach, spiced pear, stone fruits and lots of minerality all flow to a medium-bodied, elegant, pure white that has tons of class and length. It's a step up in price, but is a serious wine.
Range: 91-93 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Côtes du Roussillon Occultum Lapidem is a blend of 65% Grenache Blanc, 30% Grenache Gris, and the balance Vermentino. It reminds me of a dry Semillon with its caramelized citrus, lime peel, honeyed minerality, and earthy crushed rock nuances. Medium-bodied, rich, textured, and balanced, it has solid depth of fruit and richness, yet stays light on its feet and never puts a foot wrong. It’s going to shine on the dinner table over the coming couple of years.
Domaine Bila-Haut is owned by the well known Rhone Valley Oenologist, Michel Chapoutier. The name refers to an old farm villa which was built high into the mountain slopes , among some old vineyards. The Domaine comprises 75 hectares of land cultivated under bio-dynamic farming techniques and is characterized by steep pebbly slopes rising from almost 150 meters above sea level. The soil has 3 components…Schiste, Gneiss and Clay, and the Grape varieties are Grenache, Carignan, and of course Syrah. The cool winters and very hot summers combined with little rain, and the drying Mistral breeze during the growing season is perfection for these varietals…in some respects better than in the Rhone Valley. The Domaine is located in the commune of Latour-de-France…just about as close as you can be to Spain, but still be located in France, with a great deal of history related to the Nights Templar, and the Cathar movement, hence the T in the title of the Domaine shaped like the Nights Templar Cross.The wines exhibit the distinctive pepper and spice of Syrah, but are bigger and rounder in the mouth, with great complexity coming from the Carignan and Grenache. Here is A Rhone producer getting the best out of the Terroir in Lanquedoc… a superb combination! And one of the best Wine Makers in France.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
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).