Winemaker Notes
The year featured fairly balanced weather conditions: welcomed rain in autumn 2014, winter and spring a little dry, but with gentle rains and a hot summer with moderate humidity in August. Harvesting began with the Reds on September 8th. The blend of different ‘terroirs’ and maturing techniques provides the complexity Mas Champart looks for. Maturing also contributes to this without leaving too much of a mark on the wine. 2015 is a concentrated “sunny” vintage, matured by two years' ageing, with a rich aroma combining fruits and spices. Good ageing potential. To be drunk when young after decanting.
Blend: 60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 10% Carignan and 10% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made of 60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 10% Carignan and 10% Mourvèdre, the 2015 Saint Chinian Causse du Bousquet offers up dark, earthy aromas of cola and spice. It's full-bodied, concentrated and velvety in texture, picking up mouthwatering red-fruit highlights on the long finish.
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.
Between Faugères and Minervois in the Languedoc region of France, this picturesque, mountainous region produces expressive red Rhône Blends. With scant rainfall and poor soil, the vines put their best energy into the fruit, resulting in these intense, characterful reds for which the region is famous. Featuring the Rhône varieties of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, blended with Carignan and Cinsault, they are full-bodied yet fresh, with briary grip and an herbal savor which, laid atop cherry, berry and plum fruit, make them a fabulous pair for all grilled food.
With distinct soil types, elevations, and exposures, St-Chinian is an ancient, varied region in the midst of defining its terroirs. Two sub-appellations, St-Chinian-Berlou and St-Chinian-Roquebrun, were established in 2005, to recognize the excellence and uniqueness of their wines. Whites (blends of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Rolle (Vermentino)) and rosés (Mourvèdre ) currently comprise only 11% of St-Chinian production, but should not be overlooked as they show a delicious collision of floral stone fruit with flinty, saline minerality.