2017 Chateau de L'Ou "Infiniment" Côtes Catalanes Rouge

The 2017 Cotes Catalanes Infiniment De L'Ou comes from vines around the estate, which is located on the lower plains of the Roussillon, not too far from the Les Aspres region. Awesome notes of blueberries, crushed violets, incense, toasted bread, and spice all give way to a perfumed, sweetly fruited, seamless red that has no hard edges and beautifully polished tannins. Drink through 2027. (9/2019)

Séverine Bourrier came to winemaking through her own passion for the subject, not having the family history associated with so many winemakers. She studied oenology in school and worked in Bordeaux for a decade. After meeting her husband, they relocated to a property an hour outside of Perpignan in the Roussillon. They began restoring an old château and did some replanting, rechristening the estate L’Ou, which is Catalan for "egg." The property is in an oval-shaped valley that was used as a rest area by herd animals and likely the Knights Templar on their way to various crusades. The estate consists of three primary terroirs: the alluvial marl soils that make up the valley, and two higher-elevation sites, one made up of black schist and the other brown. Their key grape variety is Syrah but Séverine also grows the classic regional varieties like Grenache and Carignan. The "Infiniment" Côtes Catalanes comes from the marl and alluvial soils near the estate. Made from 100% Syrah, it has a powerful nose with copious, rich, ripe fruit and spice box aromas. On the palate it is refined, delivering its power in waves, so as not to overwhelm. Excellent now or for a few years in the cellar.