I’m always thrilled to taste with Oenologist/consultant Claude Gros, and he has an incredible list of clients spanning from the Languedoc and Roussillon to Corsica, Burgundy, and Bordeaux, as well as both Washington State and California in the United States. As I’ve written in the past, I suspect Claude is one of the most talented, yet least known top consultants in the wine world today.
This tasting took place in Bordeaux in April of this year and includes numerous estates from the South of France, including some real blockbusters with wines from Clos des Truffiers, Château de la Négly, Thunevin-Calvet, and La Peira en Damaisela. There are also a handful of wines from Château Maris, which is a Minervois estate producing terrific, character-filled wines that don’t get the recognition they deserve. One of my greatest disappointments over the past few years has been the lack of time available to spend in the Languedoc and Roussillon as these regions are packed with interesting, singular, high-quality wines. While this small article is far from comprehensive, I hope these reviews inspire you to seek out some of these gems from these regions.
The report also includes the wines of Corsica based Vignerons De L’Ile De Beaute who produce a bevy of brilliant whites and reds. These wines aren’t blockbusters yet have beautiful purity, precision, and minerality, and deserve attention.
Lastly, Gros consults for Olivier Bernstein in Burgundy and I’ve been fortunate to taste the 2015s last year and now a handful of 2016s this year. Given the astronomical prices of top Burgundy today, these are out of the realm of most wine lovers, nevertheless, they’re incredible, singular wines that will stand with the pinnacles of Burgundy.
As always, thank you for reading,
Jeb