Winemaker Notes
The Blason 2019 has a very pure, sunny bouquet, with notes of flint and graphite. These are mingled with the very specific scents of garrigue (thyme, black truffle) and some licorice and eucalyptus. On the palate, there is the same mineral character and notes of the garrigue but on a slightly different register (mentholated vervain, sage, laurel). Secondary notes of blackcurrant and blueberry compote and a hint of fruit brandy emerge, a sign of the beginning of a very harmonious evolution. The tannins are well-integrated, giving the wine a perfectly balanced structure.
Blend: 36% Syrah, 35% Grenache Noir, 12% Mourvèdre, 9% Carignan, 8% Alicante-Henri-Bouschet
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackcurrants, slate, crushed stone and berries with hints of chocolate. Medium-bodied, bright and racy. Vivid at the end. A blend of syrah, carignan, mourvedre and grenache.
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Decanter
Cooked sugar with cerise and plummy chocolate with some black olive tapenade. Voluptuous, yet with precision and freshness. Blend : 36% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 12% Mourvedre
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.
The Corbières AOC, established in 1985, is the largest in the Languedoc, and represents the South of France in transition. Though viticulture here dates back to the Romans, only within the last twenty years have Corbières wines begun to reclaim their reputation. Approved for reds, rosés, and whites, the region's vineyards cover a wide variety of elevations, soil types, and exposures. Hilly terrain and the Atlantic Cers wind moderate the Mediterranean heat, giving the wines balance and complexity; the best will go ten years or more in the cellar.
Reds represent 88% of the AOC’s production and are an assemblage of the sun-loving grapes of southern France. Carignan’s briars, Grenache’s berries, Syrah’s cherries and Mourvèdre’s plums allow for a wide range of styles, which are often influenced by the wild herbs of the garrigue. Corbières rosés, though only 9% of production, are serious wines and the small production of Rhône-variety whites are fresh and sea-influenced.
With eleven sub-appellations, Corbières is an AOC in the process of refinement. Corbières-Boutenac attained Cru status in 2005, one of only five in the Languedoc to achieve this highest ranking.