2019 Château de L'Ou "Grenache Rhapsody" Côtes Catalanes Rouge

95JD

$39.99

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Jeb Dunnuck

Reviewed August 2021

The 2019 Côtes Catalanes Grenache Rhapsody, which was first made in 2017, is winemaker Séverine Bourrier's take on 100% Grenache from the Roussillon (it's released under the Côtes Catalane IGP). I compared the 2017 to a top Châteauneuf du Pape, and unquestionably, that comparison holds with the 2019 as well. It offers a monster bouquet of kirsch liqueur, herbes de Provence, peppered meats, charcuterie, and dried flowers that carries to a full-bodied Grenache with an expansive, layered, seamless texture, silky tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. It's not for those looking for 13.5% alcohol Grenache, but it does what ripe Grenache does so well, deliver incredible complexity and beautiful richness in a balanced, weightless package. It should easily evolve gracefully for 5-7 years and most likely well over a decade.

Professional Reviews

Jancis Robinson

Review Date: 03/2023

How do you describe a wine like this? Cherries merge into liquorice; liquorice merges into raspberries; raspberries into rain into thunderstorms and petrichor with bruised thyme and cistus. The tannins feel like velvet-covered stone and petal-pressed steel. The smell of rain and rust. Goes on and on, becoming more and more fragrant. The insanely high alcohol is almost imperceptible. It should not be possible to achieve such freshness and balance with such a big, powerful, full-bodied wine, but Séverine Bourrier has somehow managed to pull it off. But also, this is the crazy contradiction of Roussillon at play. (TC) 17.5/20 points

Staff Reviews

Carlo Delgado

This 100% Grenache showcases a pretty nose of dusty cocoa, ripe blackberries, black plums, fresh blueberries, dark figs, a touch of black pepper, bacon fat, violets, and peony tea. On the palate, juicy, robust, with a long powerful finish. A compelling wine now, but also a great investment for the cellar, as it will gain even more complexity with time.

Scott Beckerley

My top-rated wine from a tasting of well over two dozen wines from this region today. A great balance of fruit and savories just like the best offering from the Northern Rhone. Cassis, red kirsch, lightly grilled meats, hints of sage, sarsaparilla. Beautifully soft and easy but, has the stuffing to last for a number of years to come. This Rhapsody is quite Bohemian.

Notes

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 just 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 "Grenache Rhapsody" is 100% Grenache from their vineyards around the village of Maury. It is fermented and aged in amphora and large oak barrels for 9 months. It is a bold expression ranking with some of the best Grenache in the south of France.

Details

Origin	Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Type/Varietal	Rhone Blends
SKU	1713981