Domaine de Bila Haut R.I. Cotes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde M Chapoutier 2015

Domaine Bila Haut Rectificando Invenies (R.I) Côtes-du-Roussillon Villages Lesquerde, M Chapoutier, France, 2015

Grape: 100% Syrah, ferrous granite & gravel soils, hand harvested, yield <20hl/ha, destemmed, fermented in small concrete vats, 12 months' ageing in large oak and then a further 6 in concrete

Producer Tasting Note:

Appearance: Deep, sustained, purplish highlights. Nose: Complex and intense; graphite with notes of ink, raspberry and cistus flower. Palate: Delicate on entry, growing steadily denser, without aggressiveness, lovely tight tannins. Firm, long lingering, finish; superb violet and white pepper olfactory after-taste.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"As always, the 100% Syrah 2015 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde Rectificando Invenies Ri shows more minerality than the VIT release and offers blockbuster styled aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, crushed rocks, toasted bread and chocolate. Made in a voluptuous, pedal-to-the-metal style, with huge fruit and texture, it has building tannin and an uber sexy, incredibly layered and decadent palate. Drink it anytime over the coming decade. This cuvee was completely destemmed and aged 18 months in demi-muids." 

98/100 points, Robert Parker, WINE ADVOCATE, April 2017

"Dark purplish crimson. Meaty, succulent nose. Much richer, sweeter, more opulent ripe fruit than the more mineral VIT. A tiny bit heavier and beefier arguably. Less lift. Impressive rather than winning! Masses of tannin packed in here. Very serious wine and not a jot of complacency. After all, there is still a lot to prove down here."

17+/20 points, Jancis Robinson

Estate: It was in Latour de France that Michel Chapoutier chose to set up Domaine de Bila Haut. The vines of Bila-Haut and Occultum Lapidem were the first expressions of this terroir. Then there followed 6 years of reflexion, observation and analysis to produce a precious, rare wine: v.i.t. The story continued near a little village called Lesquerde. Steep, craggy limestone, arid soil, battered by the tramontane wind… A wine wriggled free from the grasp of nature: L’esquerda. Eventually, Single Vineyard Selections r.i. and Chrysopée were able to reveal new nuances of this precious terroir.

Food Match: Recommended with shoulder of wild boar in spices. Serve at 17-18°C