Rating:
93
Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"Made from 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Carignan, the 2012 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Chimeres is mind-blowing stuff that comes from 100- to 105-year-old vines and spent 8-12 months in a combination of 500-liter barrels and concrete vats. From primarily schist soils, it boast knockout aromas of black currants, smoked earth, licorice and wild herbs that give way to a full-bodied, voluptuously textured effort that has a loaded mid-palate, no hard edges and serious length on the finish. Possessing a solid 4-5 years of prime drinking (if not more), it’s a brilliant value that readers need to snatch up."
"A new venture between Jean-Marc Lafage and importer Eric Solomon, Chateau St. Roch is located in the Agly Valley, in the appellation of Maury. The majority of the vines were planted in the 1930s and lie at elevations ranging from 360 to 1,110 feet. Both the red and white tasted here are superb." (02/14)
Product Description:
Wine:
"Lovely dark red color with flavors of ripe dark cherry, purple plum, and black raspberry fruit on the nose. Displays a saturation of tine tannins and intensity of sheer fruit with hints of fresh spices." - Importer
Winery:
"Recently purchased by Jean Marc Lafage, Chateau Saint Roch is located in the Maury Area of the Agly Valley, which is 15 miles from Perpignan and the Mediterranean Sea. The castle of Queribus, built by the Cantharis, at the top of the steep Corbieres Mountain watches over the vineyards from the north. Each plot is now surrounded by black berry bushes, fig trees, pomegranate trees, cherry trees, carob trees, oaks, as well as fields of thyme, lavender and fennel.
The soil of the hills is made up of schiste clay with a limestone base and their altitudes vary between 120 to 370 meters. The wind, called here the "Tramontane", circulates in this corridor between Fenouilledes and Corbieres. The southern Catalan sun takes advantage of the refractive qualities of the schist from this ancient icy plateau to give St Roch its unique light." - Importer