Description

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
Thierry Rodriguez, grandson of a winemaker, always dreamt of making his own wines, and in 1997 he bought his first plots of vines in the Faugères appellation. Situated in the foothills of the Cévennes and surrounded by beautiful garrigue, the appellation is renowned for its magnificent schistous soils. Demanding, thorough and a perfectionist, Thierry manages the vineyard with great care and attention. In turn, the vines produce naturally low yields of around 25 hectolitres per hectare, of beautiful, healthy berries that reach optimal maturity – the key to fully expressing the Faugères terroir. Nothing revolutionary here, simply the application of good farming sense and practices that respect the environment; the estate is certified HVE. Mas Gabinèle takes its name after ‘unà gabinelà’ which in Occitan refers to the traditional wine-maker’s hut in the vineyards.

THE VINTAGE:
The 2019 vintage started with unseasonably heavy rains in October and November 2018, followed by a dry winter, which was mild from February onwards. The summer was very hot with a high of 46°C recorded on 28th June. The weather remained very dry until the beginning of the harvest. These conditions had quite an impact on the fruit; the Syrah produced small berries and therefore needed a high level of control during extraction. The Grenache, which is well adapted to the Mediterranean climate, resisted well. Rainfall in September allowed the Mourvèdre to ripen evenly.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
The 23-hectare vineyard is located in the Faugères appellation in the Languedoc and is situated at 180 metres elevation, overlooking the village of Laurens. The Syrah and Mourvèdre are double Cordon Royat pruned vines and the Grenache is pruned according to the traditional Gobelet method. The vines are planted in ochre, grey or blue sandstone and schist soils, which are slightly acidic and have a fragile structure. This high quality but demanding terroir naturally produces low yields, of around 25 hectolitres per hectare. The estate is cultivated sustainably, and is HVE certified, which officially recognises the environmental performance of winegrowers, including biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategies, managed fertiliser use and water resource management. The grapes are hand-harvested.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
The grapes were carefully sorted in the vineyard to select the ripest fruit. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts, followed by a long maceration period with pumping over to extract the desired level of flavour, colour and structure-giving tannins. The wine was then matured for 16 months in French oak.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
Fragrant aromas of cherry, violet, blackcurrant jam, ink and Mirabelle plum are channelled on the palate through powerful and muscular tannins. This is beautifully balanced by mineral freshness through to a long, opulent finish.

GRAPE:
Syrah 70%, Grenache 25%, Mourvèdre 5%.

AWARDS:
• Silver, Decanter World Wine Awards, 2021