Winemaker Notes
Wonderful with game, red meat and sauce dishes. Try it with a serious T-bone.
Blend: 40% Syrah, 20% Grenache, and 20% Mourvedre.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The flagship wine of the estate, the 2015 La Clape Grand Vin, is a blend of 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah and 20% Grenache. The Mourvèdre and Syrah are aged in barriques, while the Grenache stays in concrete tanks. A bit of eucalyptus gives life and lift to the nose, while the palate is plummy, ripe and rich, with cola and spice accents emerging on the long, velvety finish. It should drink well through at least 2024.
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Decanter
This Mourvèdre-rich blend is grown within sight of the glittering Mediterranean, which is exactly what this variety likes. The rest of the blend is made up from Syrah with smaller quantities of Grenache and Carignan. It has some of the exotic fruit perfumes typical of La Clape, with a smokier note too, while on the palate it's lush and full, but with ample sinew from the Mourvèdre. The finish is dark and brooding. Drinking Window 2018 - 2025
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.
Essentially a mountain on France’s Mediterranean coast, La Clape's vineyards vary in elevation by as much as nearly 1,000 feet. This tiny region also boasts some of France’s highest total hours of sunshine and produces aromatic whites from the Bourboulenc variety as well as full-bodied red blends from the usual Rhône suspects.