92 David Schildknecht - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2012 Cotes du Roussillon Les Vignes de Bila-Haut – representing, as usual, tank-raised Grenache Blanc, Macabeu, and Grenache Gris, some from chalky soils around Latour-de-France, but largely from granite heights in Lesquerde – beautifully illustrates not just the ability of Roussillon whites to convey vivacity, juiciness and invigoration at relatively low acidity, but also the ability of the best growers and sites to render gorgeous whites despite the challenges of the 2012 vintage. More than that, it offers incomprehensible value! Peach fuzz, lime zest, mint, fennel white pepper, salt, alkalinity, and an ineffable and uncanny sense of crystalline mineral impingement all keep this juicy cuvee invigorating as well as intriguing, and it manages to at once envelope the palate in luscious pineapple and peach fruit while at the same time broadcasting shimmering, vibratory interactivity into a finish notable not just for its vibrancy and complexity but also its sheer refreshment. (Unfortunately, the 2011 rendition was omitted from the line-up I tasted in the spring because not a bottle was to be found at the winery and I subsequently did not have chance to track-down one.)"

"Michel Chapoutier’s Roussillon domaine – for further details on which, consult my report in issue 183 – has garnered well-earned praise as a beacon of Roussillon quality, and while the recent dismissal of this estate’s original winemaker, Gilles Troullier, can scarcely have left either the affected parties or any lovers of wine happy, I suspect that Chapoutier will find a way to maintain Bila-Haut’s position near the apex of regional quality. (For more about this change, and an account of Troullier’s own domaine wines, see under his name in this report.) The 2012 hail that afflicted Maury also ravaged Lesquerde, reducing total production volume at Bila-Haut significantly; and this scourge – along with the generally vine-stressful ripening pattern of the vintage – also influenced the percentage of Syrah (higher) and the quality of tannin (lower) in Chapoutier’s reds. But then, it’s almost unfair to those Bila-Haut 2012 reds to have to be tasted alongside their 2011 counterparts, which offer amazing quality and value even by the quite remarkable standards set at this estate. As for Bila-Haut’s “little” white from 2012, that wine is in a class by itself – how did they do it?! (In addition to the collaboration with Jasper Hill owner-vintner Ron Laughton of Victoria, Australia that is Agly Brothers – whose latest releases are reviewed in this report – Chapoutier has once again rendered Banyuls under his own name and is also bottling inexpensive wines sourced in part from Roussillon under the label “Marius,” releases reviewed in this report under those names.)"