Winemaker Notes
A bouquet of already complex aromas with some notes of sauteed black cherries, cassis, licorice, pepper and cold meats. Dark purple color. Rich, full-bodied, yet elegant and seamless, with an impressive texture.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Minervois La Livinière Les Planels reveals a deep ruby purple color as well as a beautiful nose of ripe berries (black raspberries, blackberries), peppery garrigue, violets, iron, and a touch of chalky minerality. This ripe, medium to full-bodied, seamless Syrah (there's a splash of Grenache) has silky tannins, remarkable purity, and outstanding length. It benefits from a short decant and is a brilliant Minervois that will evolve for a solid decade.
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Decanter
Attractively complex nose, blackcurrant, lavender and raspberry ripple. Deep, concentrated palate, toasty oak, tobacco, rich fruit expression and a lingering freshness. Blend: 80% Syrah, 20% Grenache.
Chateau Maris is the vision of Englishman Robert Eden, who emigrated to France over 20 years ago to pursue his dream of crafting wines that reflect, rather than mask the land on which the grapes are grown. Robert's approach to winemaking is based on the fundamental premise that wine is "grown", not "made".
To craft wines that reveal the true character of the land, Chateau Maris strictly adheres to biodynamics, which is in effect a supercharged system of organic farming. Similar to organic farming, biodynamics adopts a holistic approach that views the entire vineyard as a living system that is impacted by its surroundings. Biodynamics seeks to encourage vitality in the vineyard by introducing live matter into the soil through intensive composting. In addition, biodynamics places a strong emphasis on harnessing naturally occurring cycles.
The entire estate is certified Organic as well as certified Biodynamic, using homeopathic preparations instead of chemicals on its land. The cellar itself is the only building in existence constructed entirely with hemp blocks and contains no paint, no plastic, no chemicals. Thanks to the geothermal properties of hemp, the cellar has no heating nor cooling system, making the project not only energy self-sufficient but making the project one of the few carbon-negative constructions in the world.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Granted its own appellation within Minervois in the Languedoc region of France, Minervois La Livinière takes its name from cella vinaria, Latin for ‘wine cellar.’ In the hilly northern end of Minervois, the altitude and dense, rocky limestone soils of La Liviniere produce quality red Rhône Blends made from Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache and Carignan.