Carignan/Grenache, 2012. Château Saint-Estève
Appellation: A.O.P. Corbières Boutenac, France
Wine tasting with Paul Kalemkiarian & Ed Masciana
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Sylvie and Eric Latham acquired Château Saint-Estève in 1984. Located in Southern France in an area called Corbières, it is considered one of the best wine regions in the Languedoc.
Our selection hails from a small appellation within Corbières, called Boutenac. The laws here strictly control which grapes can be grown and the minimum age of the vines. Only Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Syrah are allowed in a wine labeled Boutenac, and the vines have to be at least 10 years old - though in this case, they are much older. The Carignan vines, for instance, are over 80 years old.
Corbières is only a few miles from the Rhône Valley and shares many attributes with it. The terrain is very rocky, which forces the vines to go deep into the earth to find water and nutrients. In doing so, they bring the necessary essentials for growing perfect grapes.
This selection could easily be confused with one of the most prestigious wines in the world, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The grapes, soil and climate they grow in are very similar and too often the only thing that separates them is the price.
Here are dense, imposing and monumental expressions of plum, cherry, earth, blueberries and cocoa in an endless swirl of complexity. The beauty and balance of this wine is apparent when the flavors come in waves and last until the grand and glorious finish.
