Winemaker Notes
Best served with a beef from Aubrac grilled, matured or slowly cooked.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From a vintage with very small yields, the 2016 Minervois la Liviniere Clos d'Ora may be even more concentrated than the rich 2015 or 2012. Brown sugar and caramelized notes accent notes of blackberries and charred wood. Super ripe—maybe even a bit over the top for some drinkers—this full-bodied, full-throttle wine is admittedly a bit much right now. Hold it for a few years to allow the oak to mellow and the fruit elements to come forward, including the intriguing note of licorice on the long finish.
Rating: 94+? -
Wine Spectator
This generous red shows lots of finesse, with rich layers of cherry tart and raspberry compote flavors, infused with black tea, mocha and baking spice notes, structured by polished tannins and vivid acidity. Details of floral, olive and garrigue linger into the long finish. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan. Drink now through 2025.
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Decanter
The deep, crimson-purple colour announces the tenor. This is a big, bold wine of a more international flavour than terroir driven at this stage. There's plenty of creamy oak with cassis notes on the nose while the palate is full, plush and round, the ripeness and glow of alcohol giving a port-like nuance. The tannins are finely honed and will provide a structure for mid-term ageing. The wine, which also includes some Carignan, was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.
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.