Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesScheduled to be bottled next year, the 2015 Clape la Porte du Ciel is another tour de force from this team that’s unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. More clean, straight and fruit driven than previous vintages, without the standard Porte du Ciel wildness (which I suspect will develop with bottle age), its deep, saturated purple color is followed by awesome notes of cassis, licorice, violets and hints of olive tapenade. With ultra-fine tannin, no hard edges and full-bodied richness, it should shine with 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for a decade.
Barrel Sample: (96-99)
The 2015 La Clape Porte du Ciel (100% Syrah) is scheduled to be bottled in two months, and it's another awesome vintage for this cuvée that's up with the top 2-3 vintages ever produced. Possessing a huge nose of currants, white truffles, game, olives, and bacon fat, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, multidimensional texture, sweet tannin, and awesome length. Like the 2016, it stays light and elegant, and is another singular, world-class wine from this remarkable estate.
Barrel Sample: 97-99
Freshness and brightness to this old-grenache wine with spices, such as cloves and black pepper, to the blueberry and chocolate character. Bright, juicy aftertaste.
Records show that this property existed as far back as 178AD under the name Nerly. The Chateau was built in the 18th century and was originally named d'Anceley; in 1807 the name changed to Negly. Many families have owned this historic estate over the centuries but it wasn't until the arrival of Jean Paux-Rosset, who purchased Negly in 1992, that the wines produced from these old traditional vineyards began their elevation to premier level status.
Today, wines from Chateau de la Negly are held as benchmarks of the Languedoc's potential, achieved through a series of replanting of vineyards, more organic farming practices and a strict attention to cleanliness and quality control. Every bunch of grapes is handpicked and placed into small 8kg crates. If they are de-stemmed, as they are for all the top wines, the grapes travel slowly along a conveyor table where 12 people remove everything but the perfectly ripe and intact berries. Whites are allowed to chill in a cold room for up to 4 days before pressing. The three flagship wines from this Estate (L'Anceley, Port du Ciel and Clos des Truffiers) are parcel selections of very old Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache that yield tiny harvests of around 10-15 hL/ha.
An extensive appellation producing a diverse selection of good quality and great values, Languedoc spans the Mediterranean coast from the Pyrenees mountains of Roussillon all the way to the Rhône Valley. Languedoc’s terrain is generally flat coastal plains, with a warm Mediterranean climate and frequent risk of drought.
Virtually every style of wine is made in this expansive region. Most dry wines are blends with varietal choice strongly influenced by the neighboring Rhône Valley. For reds and rosés, the primary grapes include Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. White varieties include Grenache Blanc, Muscat, Ugni Blanc, Vermentino, Macabéo, Clairette, Piquepoul and Bourbelenc.
International varieties are also planted in large numbers here, in particular Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The key region for sparkling wines here is Limoux, where Blanquette de Limoux is believed to have been the first sparkling wine made in France, even before Champagne. Crémant de Limoux is produced in a more modern style.
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.