Rating:
97
Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"My favorite of the lineup, the 2012 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Le Clos des Fées is a sensational effort that’s most likely the wine of the vintage. Made from 50% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 20% Carignan and the rest Mourvèdre that was aged 16 months in roughly 60% new French oak, it’s a classic, structured, age-worthy Roussillon that exhibits lots of blackberry and cassis fruit, smoked herbs, licorice and scorched earth. Full-bodied and concentrated, yet light on its feel, with a firm, focused finish, give it 2-3 years and enjoy bottles through 2027. There are few wines from the Roussillon I’d rather have in my cellar." Reviewed April,2015
Product Description:
About Le Clos Des Fees
A blend from the oldest vines on the estate (50 to 100 years old): 50 % Grenache et LLadoner Pelut, 35% Carignan, 15% Syrah. Limestone-clay soils, mainly on hillsides, pH >9. Extensive work on the vines: green harvest, bud and side-shoots removal and leaf thinning. Grapes are picked at optimum ripeness, and then sorted in the vineyard and after de-stemming. The harvest is transported in refrigerated trucks. Short pre-fermentary cold maceration in small stainless steel vats, at low temperature with daily punching of the cap and pumping-over. Temperatures controlled in the cap during fermentation. 20 to 25 day macerations with slow and gentle extraction. Aged without racking for 12 months in one-year and two-year old barrels, as well as traditional cement tanks. Bottled after fining for 2 months in tanks. A naturally powerful wine, with no excess, but extremely aromatic. The silkiness of the tannins makes it enjoyable young, but it will show its full potential after aging in the bottle for at least 3 years. Ideal years cellaring: 5 to 10 year."
Jeb Dunnuck, issue #218
"One of the top 2-3 estates in the Roussillon, Domaine du Clos des Fees is run by the eccentric, yet dead serious Herve Bizeul. In addition to the normal Roussillon Carignan, Grenache and Syrah releases, he's branched out with a number of unconventional blends and varieties, and now releases a superb Cabernet Franc, an impressive Tempranillo, and a blockbuster Semillon (the Cotes Catalanes Le Clos des Fees Blanc) that needs to be tasted to be believed! On top of this, Bizeul is also involved with Domaine La Chique and Walden, both of which are reviewed in this report. Looking at his top two cuvees, the classically styled Le Clos des Fees is a blend of mostly Syrah, yet incorporates a splash of Grenache and Carignan. The elevage here is a combination of tank and new barrels, and this cuvee ages beautifully. The most expensive cuvee is the La Petite Siberie, and this Grenache-dominated blend is distinctly different than the classic cuvee and is made in a full-throttle, ripe, and bombastic style. It's definitely not for those seeking low alcohol or subtle flavors, yet like all great wines, it's singular, stays balanced, lively and is a thrilling drink."
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