I almost chose the 2005 Pic Saint Loup Clos Marie l'Olivette for our last Wine Blogging Wednesday but I couldn't taste it in time for the event. So we finally tried it this weekend.The Clos Marie L'Olivette belongs to a relatively new appellation, the Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint loup, a region located some 30 kilometers north of Montpellier. It is dominated by the Pic Saint Loup itself, a pointed mountain rising 638 meters above the sea level. The soil is poor and stony, mostly clay and limestone. The region has a more northerly climate than the rest of the Coteaux du Languedoc with cooler average temperatures and slightly higher rainfall. It has also stricter appellation rules. Noble grape varieties such as Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre must account for at least 90% of a blend.
Clos Marie is a 20 hectare domain located near the village of Lauret, one of the thirteen villages included in the Pic Saint Loup appellation. It is run by Christophe Peyrus who took over the family's vineyards in 1991. Before that, the wine was sold to the local co-operative. He made drastic changes in order to improve the quality of the wine, unrooting and replanting 75% of the vineyard with a high planting density, and adopting manual harvesting. He also started farming the vineyard using biodynamic principles in 2000.
The cuvée L'Olivette is the domain's basic offering. It is a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre, aged in 1/3 new oak, 2/3 neutral barrels. The wine has a dense purple color and a sweet nose of blackberry. The mouthfeel is full and unctuous, leaving a fine dusty aftertaste. Simply delicious, addictive, and highly recommended!
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1 comment:
My wife and I purchased a case of the 2001 Pic St. Loup Clos Marie L'Olivette after enjoying this delicious cuvee at a restaurant in Cambridge, MA. It was the suggestion of the restaurant's sommelier after he could not produce the correct vintage of another wine we had ordered from the wine list (the year is important!). Anyway, we were blown away my the velvety tannins and berry flavors. We recently opened one of the bottles and found that it had cellared quite well for the last couple of years. We'll be sure to try the '05 too. If anyone's reading these comments, go out and find this wine... you won't be disappointed!
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