Olivier Coste – Carignan Noir ‘Je T’Aime’, Pays d’Oc – 2020

PRODUCER NOTE:
Since his childhood, Olivier Coste’s favourite place to play was in the vineyards and the wine cellar at his family’s wine estate, which was founded in 1701 in Pézenas. With this upbringing, he developed a passion for nature, the Languedoc region and southern French wines. The vineyards are located a few kilometres from Pézenas where the Mediterranean Sea asserts its influence on the vines. The estate is certified HVE Level 3, which complements the family’s existing ‘Carbon Neutral’ approach. They reduce their CO2 emissions, keeping them to a minimum and offset the rest by financing ecological initiatives, including projects in India. They are furthering their commitments to sustainability with solar energy installations. The Solis Lumen range, meaning ‘Light of the Sun’, was created to highlight the importance of the Mediterranean Sea, sun and wind which shape their wines, while the Stars range has been produced for those who appreciate a modern, fresh and fruity wine, complemented by quirky packaging.

VINTAGE:
2020 was a vintage filled with excellent weather conditions. The dry and mild winter was compensated for with a very rainy spring, which replenished water reserves and facilitated flowering and fruit development. The warm and dry summer, followed by good weather during harvest time allowed for superb maturation of the fruit.

VINEYARD:
The Carignan Noir grapes are organically grown in the Minervois, where the warm Mediterranean climate is influenced the cooling effect of the sea, resulting in concentrated fruit with balancing freshness. The vineyard faces south and west, optimising exposure to the sun. The 60-year old vines are pruned in the traditional Mediterranean Gobelet method, which allows the shade from the leaves to protect the grapes from the sun. As a result of the vine’s age, the poor soils and the concentration that is sought by Olivier Coste, the vines are low yielding, producing just 30 hectolitres per hectare. The 15-hectare vineyard is farmed in the traditional method, using mechanical tools rather than chemical herbicides to control weeds; pheromones are used rather than pesticides to reduce pests in the vineyard and grape pomace is employed as fertiliser to nourish the soils. In order to preserve the biodiversity of the vineyards, trees are continuously planted, over 2,000, in order to preserve and maintain the wildlife. The grapes are hand- harvested in the cool of the night, in order to retain freshness and quality.

WINEMAKING:
The grapes were carefully selected, 100% destemmed and then macerated for three weeks to extract aromas, colour and tannins. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts in temperature controlled vats, with regular pump-overs to enhance the aromatic expression. Once fermentation was complete, the wine was matured in concrete vats for six months which allowed the purity of fruit to shine through.

TASTING NOTE:
Intense aromas of dark stewed fruit are complemented by delicate spicy notes. Rich and smooth, the palate is beautifully balanced by freshness with wonderful purity of fruit on the finish.

GRAPE:
Carignan 100%.

COUNTRY:
France

REGION:
Languedoc

SUB-REGION:
Pays d’Oc

AWARDS:
• 16 Points, Jancis Robinson, 2021