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Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The 2011 Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint Loup Simon is a step up, with rocking purity of fruit, medium to full-bodied richness and fine tannin that emerges on the finish. Offering loads of licorice-laced raspberry and assorted berry fruits, smoked earth and sappy herbs, it's a thrilling Pic Saint Loup to drink over the coming decade."
"I had a fantastic visit with Clos Marie's Christophe Peyrus (who took over the estate from his father in 1991). This estate fashions classic, age-worthy wines that are loaded with character. Located in the Pic Saint Loup region and covering 20 hectares, they produce up to four reds in a given vintage: their mostly Syrah, younger vine cuvee L'Olivette, which comes from the lower slopes of the Pic Saint Loup; their cuvee Simon, which is a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache; their old-vine cuvee, the Metairies du Clos; and lastly, the tiny production Les Glorieuses which is a cofermented blend of Grenache and Syrah. In addition, they produce a beautiful white, the cuvee Manon, which comes mostly from Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris. Plenty of whole cluster fermentation and neutral/larger format barrel aging are also the norm here. Coming across as slightly austere and firm in their youth, these wines age beautifully. Looking first at the 2013s, this vintage was described by Christophe as a normal vintage in the Pic Saint Loup, with harvest occurring towards the end of September. After working through current releases, Christophe commenced to open an older release of each cuvee to show how the wines evolve. We finished the tasting with the white, which is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Clairette and a few other varieties." (04/14)
