Winemaker Notes
Deep garnet in color, this wine offers currant and boysenberry fruit flavors edged by white pepper, cured meat and dried herb details. On the palate, its tanins are mature, subtle and intense. The black fruit aromas are an invitation to a persistent depth.
Best served with grilled beef.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Gerard Bertrand's icon project is the Clos d'Ora, a biodynamically farmed nine-hectare estate. The 2015 Minervois la Liviniere Clos d'Ora is a blend of the region's four grapes, aged a year in oak and another year in bottle prior to release. It's certainly the most supple and creamy-textured of the 2015s from Bertrand, marrying red berries seamlessly with hints of coffee-tinged oak and resiny notes of native garrigue. Although full-bodied and undeniably ripe (the alcohol is 15.5% but there's no heat), it's far from monolithic, showcasing complexity and elegance rather than brute power. I've been deliberately conservative with my aging estimate because of the wine's lack of track record and relatively young vine age in the Syrah and Mourvèdre components, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it drink well for longer.
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James Suckling
A very meaty nose together with grilled meat, nutmeg, caramel and smoked spices. Medium to full body with fine tannins, yet it is dense and slightly chewy still. It’s quite intense with character and energy. Some smoked bitterness towards the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.
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Wine Spectator
A generous, suave red, with supple layers of cherry reduction and raspberry filling detailed with floral, melted chocolate and anise accents. Beams of mineral and floral impart depth to the velvety finish. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan. Drink now through 2026.
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.
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.