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Dear Partners, importers, cellarmasters and restaurant owners, We will be pleased to welcome you on our stand within the area devoted to Terrasses du Larzac - Coteaux du Languedoc, at the far end of Hall N°2, alleyway B, stand 110. Our stand at VINISUD : 2 A 129
Domaine La Croix Chaptal will take this opportunity to have you discover its Terroir wines : its white, dry and full-bodied Clairette du Languedoc 2006; the most accomplished of all its vintages ! its fruity and powerful 2007 Rosé wine from "saignées" of Carignan, Grenache and Shiraz, its Terrasses du Larzac terroir and its Cuvée Charles 2005, as good as ever and along with a great vintage year... its latest Seigneurie de Cambous 2005 made from 100% Great Carignan; it is really a "Très Grand Vin" ! its red and white wines made from late harvest of botrytised grapes; 2006 made from Roussanne for the first time ! its fresh, fruity and mineral red Vin de Pays "Les Lauriers 2006".
and its new fresh and fruity
"Lauriers Rosé 2007"
To all journalists, importers, cellarmasters, restaurant owners and sommeliers, The Syndicat of Terrasses du Larzac invites you to discover the confirmed quality of our Terroir and of its wine-growers within our common area "Coteaux du Languedoc - Terrasses du Larzac;
We hope that a large number of you will come, all
of us will be present to welcome you ! We also invite you to discover, "en avant première" a few "cuvées" from the exceptional 2007 vintage PRESS REVIEW A few new articles from the 2008 wine guides The 2008 Hachette wine guide: Our domaine la Croix Chaptal confirms its presence in this guide for the 7th year in a row. Terrasses du Larzac Cuvee Charles 2004: one star. In 1999, Charles Pacaud took over this very old vineyard created in the X th century by the Benedictine monks of Gellone Abbaye. On this terroir, equal shares of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan have produced a wine tinged with a slightly wild taste completed by aromas of toast and garrigue. Firm tannins support this wine in its development and also guarantee that it will favourably evolve over two to three years. To be drunk with a bull stew. Bettane and Desseauve 2008 wine guide: Superb first mention in this guide with 4 wines listed from the outset After working as a business manager for a famous wine company, Charles Pacaud has been building his domaine in order to produce very specific, greatly charming wines that are decidedly meant to wander off the beaten track. The production of white is limited but the Clairette is so pure that it hardly has any equivalent in France. The rosé adopts a vinous style close to a claret and does not give way to fashion. It combines charm with a strong character. The red wines are quite good. To put it in a nutshell, you must have understood that the wines from this Domaine deserve to be tasted for their incredible adaptation to gastronomy. Clairette du Languedoc 2005 :
White : 2007 to 2010 7.50 €
15.5/20 The Clairette may no longer be a very fashionable variety because of its being prone to oxidation. But try it with your meal when it reaches that level of purity and it will surely show you how good it is at enhancing the most refined gastronomy!! Côteaux du Languedoc 2005 : red : 2007 to 2010 6.60 € 15/20 Hints of mint and rosemary in a well-structured wine with a remarkable aromatic charm. Its tannins are smooth and steadily present. Côteaux du Languedoc 2005 : rosé : 2007 to 2008 6.60 € 15/20 This is a powerful rosé which has not given way to softness as it is really straightforward and clear-cut as far as its aromas are concerned. It is cut out for gastronomy in the same way as the Clairette. Côteaux du Languedoc « Cuvée Charles 2004 :
red : 2007 to 2010 11 €
A
pleasant dense and refined texture with very round tannins. The freshness of
this greatly charming cuvee is indeed invigorating.
The Dusssert-Gerber 2008 wine guide: confirms our status as “ 1 er grand cru classé” A 25- hectare vineyard where you find this côteaux du Languedoc Cuvée Charles Terrases du Larzac 2004( 36% Grenache, 32% Syrah and 32 % Carignan on soils made of rounded stones, gravels and some red clay) the grapes are hand-picked then allowed to ferment and rest in tanks for 30 to 40 days for each variety before ageing for 23 months ( half this time in barrels), the wine is unfiltered. It is still very young, very firm, with hints of cooked red fruit, truffles and humus in the nose. It is well-structured and has a lasting final taste. (11.70 €). The Clairette du Languedoc “Vieilles Vignes 2005 (Clairette blanche, 25% matured in new oak and 75 % in tanks on lees) is full of aromas and both mellow and vigorous (7.50 €). The Cuvée les Origines, Seigneurie de Cambous, made from low-yielding Carignan combined to a note of Grenache and Syrah, is a dense, very well matured wine with aromas of spices and candied fruit as well as ripe and powerful tannins;it is firm, coloured, fleshy and will age well ( 18 €). Do not hesitate either.
The Gilbert and Gaillard 2008 wine guide: Vieilles Vignes 2005 : Price 7.50 € 85/100 A golden colour. A superb nose with very ripe fruit (apricot, grape) on a slightly smoky backdrop. A fine roundness in the mouth; a full; fresh and aromatic wine. The final touch is directed towards a fine tinge of ripe grapes. Cuvée Charles 2004 : Price 11.50 € 89/100 The second best mark in Côteaux du Languedoc (vintages and terroirs combined) Red cherry colour. A superb nose with very ripe fruit (cherry, morello cherry). The mouth is crunchy, fruity, fresh, framed by well-integrated tannins. Nose and mouth combine in a long, harmonious and somewhat mineral final touch.
Press review July 2007. A wealth of articles over this first semester (non-exhaustive list): Clairette du Languedoc 2005 and Cuvée Charles 2004 are praised again in : - the 2007 Hubert guide, page 292, with 4 glasses for each of these 2 wines: • “Cuvée Charles 2004: a peppery nose with tinges of leather and toast. In the mouth, it is dense and the tannins can still be perceived with a very spicy final note.” • “Clairette 2005: a smoky nose with tinges of ripe fruit and oriental spices; the mouth is in the same vein, with great notes of dried fruit.”
The Domaine is also praised in Michel Smith’s book page 171, in the column ”evolving Grands Crus: the promising ones and the forgotten ones…” “Here is an actually soaring Domaine from which we are expecting significant progress before we can speak of great wines. In 2000, the Cuvée Charles is impressive through its tannins, length in the mouth and its tinges of “garrigue”. As for a white wine, there is also the Clairettte du Languedoc, one of the oldest varieties and one of the earliest appellations in the area.”
The Seigneurie de Cambous 2004 is also mentioned in the Républicain Lorrain : “In the nose, this wine sends out its aromas of candied small red fruit with a few tinges of spices and garrigue. The mouth is well-structured, smooth and full with fine tannins. A wine that should still be kept.”
A harvest of articles on our Rosé Coteaux du Languedoc 2006 and 2005 in this month of July! - in the July issue of La Revue du Vin de France it is awarded a mark of 16 out of 20 and named “great wine”: “a fine Rosé, brightly-coloured, fresh and sprightly! Strong character.” - a very praising article in “ la Revue Nationale de la Chasse ( the National magazine for hunting) : “In the stone cellar of Domaine la Croix Chaptal built not far from the vineyard in 1875, the game from a great hunting party could well be kept fresh for a few days. Charles Pacaud merely chooses to let his Rosé age a little longer than that of his colleagues. Thus it is this extra time which gives his wines the brightly-coloured robe which reminds us of claret.
Its nose is
leaning towards wood and spices on a background of red fruit. It is full-bodied
and fleshy as well as very smooth and fresh. Goes well with a game couscous.” - the Rosé Coteaux du Languedoc 2005 is again praised in the July issue of le Chasseur Français ( the French Hunter) “Its elegant and rich fruit recalls that of a red wine but its freshness in the mouth is indeed that of a rosé. It is really delicious along with a ratatouille, with or without meat.”
- The Rosé is also mentioned in the issue n°66 of Tentation Magazine: “An astonishing Coteaux du Languedoc 2005 whose slightly dark robe is rather far from the usual concept of a rosé. Nevertheless, in the mouth it is fleshy and can go well with a spicy meal ( and above all with North African cuisine).”
PRESS REVIEW A few new articles from the 2007 wine guides
Dussert-Gerbert 2007 (p 429 & 455). Premier grand vin classé ***** by Patrick Dussert-Gerbert who liked very much: Côteaux du Languedoc rosé 2005 (Carignan, Grenache and Syrah, ageing on lees) intense colour, candied morello cherry in the nose, spicy, full-bodied with harmonious and balanced tannins (6,90 €). Clairette du Languedoc Vieilles Vignes 2004 (Clairette blanche, traditional vinification on lees. 25 % in new oak and 75 % on lees in tanks) is both mellow and vigorous (7,50 €). Côteaux du Languedoc Red Cuvée Charles Terrasses du Larzac 2003 (38 % Syrah, 37 % Carignan and 25 % Grenache, aged for 22 months, unfiltered), powerful, intense colour, flavoursome tannins, full of aromas (blackberry, blackcurrant, spices...), a promising wine (11,50 €).
Les Origines Déodat de Séverat 2004 (Red).
This cuvée is
intense and complex (18 €). Do not hesitate. Hachette guide 2007 : Seigneurie de Cambous Les Origines (Red) 2004 obtains one star (p 745). Charles-Walter Pacaud tends to his vineyard and his wines as delicately and thoroughly as the Benedictine monks who preceded him on this estate in the Xth century. In this wine, subtlety rivals with strength. From the garnet colour tinged with dark purple, one can guess at the complex aromas: toast, spices, dried fruit and a gentle hint of vanilla. Its velvety touch on the palate combined with powerful tannins will allow this wine to accompany a hare in chocolate sauce.
Gilbert and Gaillard guide 2007. 82 out of 100 for Clairette Vieilles Vignes 2004 (p 308). Light yellow colour. A very expressive nose combining flowery and citrus fruit (grapefruit) hints. Fat and full-bodied in the mouth. A very smooth, rather long-lasting style. To be appreciated with cooked fish. Approximate price: 7,50 €. · Our Cuvée Charles 2003 and Clairette du Languedoc 2004 are pushed to the front on page 309 in the 2006 Guide Hubert : Red Cuvée Charles 2003 : 4 glasses out of 5. Licorice combined with stewed red fruit and a touch of leather in the nose. In the mouth, this wine displays wild notes, a smooth structure, a spicy and peppery final touch. Dry white Clairette du Languedoc 2004 : 4 glasses out of 5. A ripe nose with hints of honey, dried fruit and oven-baked apple. The mouth is round and toasted, fruity and mature.
· Out Déodat de Séverat 2004 is praised in Terre De Vin n°30, p 18: “Charles Pacaud’s estate goes a step further with “Les Origines”, a new ambitious range of three “cuvées”, each one with one of the three following varieties : Carignan, Grenache or Syrah as its main basis. This Coteaux du Languedoc 2004 (17,50 €) pays tribute to Déodat de Séverat, a monk from Gellone Abbey who created the vineyard of the estate of Cambous in the early Xth century. In this wine, the Syrah variety prevails supported by a touch of Grenache and Carignan. Its nose is toasted and full of ripe wild black berries and elderberry. In the mouth, touches of blackberry jam, of prune, of thyme and ash prevail. This is a powerful, fleshy, concentrated wine but it remains fresh and full-bodied with a long-lasting mint-flavoured final touch.”
Last Press Release from "Wine Reviews & Rant" - Australia : 92 points to La Croix Chaptal - Seigneurie de Cambous 2001 "The vineyard is mainly old vines planted near Cambous about 45 minutes west of Montpellier. It is mainly Carignan with a bit of Grenache and Syrah. The nose was still closed, but had a bit of cinnamon spice and licorice. The same tones were in the wine along with an almost thick structure of fine tannins. No fruit sweetness, but still a bit dark red fruits and spicy overtones. The wine was made to "express the unique terroir of Cambous as it must have been in the 10th century when owned by the monks of Gellone Abbey". This is one of the best Languedoc wines I have tasted." Tasting scores : 90-100 = very fine, extraordinary, 80-89 = very good, 70-79 = solid, 60-69 = faults are not obvious. |
