2019 Château La Borie Côtes du Rhône

Rhône Valley, France

Firm and structured, with a touch of brightness, La Borie’s Côtes du Rhône Villages is a blend of 40% Grenache, 55% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre. The grapes were carefully sorted and completely destemmed. The berries underwent traditional vinifcation in concrete vats at low temperatures to highlight the pure varietal expression of each grape. After 3 weeks extended maceration, and complete malolactic fermentation, the resulting wine was aged for 8 months in tank before bottling, and was finished with a Diam cork, which guarantees no cork taint.

Tasting Notes

Dark garnet color. Complex aromas of bramble fruit, cassis and black raspberry mingled with petrichor. The palate is supple and fruit driven, showing flavors of red and black plums, elderberry, blackberry and rosehips. The finish is graceful and juicy, punctuated with well-balanced tannins and a soft earthiness.

About Château La Borie

In the heart of the Southern Rhône Valley, between forests, truffles and lavender fields, La Borie is a single-block estate and one of the few in the Rhône Valley to bear the château appellation. The domain was the advanced bastion of the medieval Château de Suze-La-Rousse to which it was linked by long underground galleries dug by the Templars. Chateau La Borie is dedicated to making wines traditionally and naturally, with as little intervention as possible. Raphael Knapp has owned the estate since 2018 after 15 years in California where he imported natural wines from France and Italy. Chateau La Borie started a conversion to organic farming in 2019. The goal of the estate is to showcase the vibrant and pure flavors inherent in our estate-grown grapes. Red grapes are Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Marselan. White grapes are Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Viognier, Clairette, Rolle, Picpoul, Marsanne and Roussane.

96 points, Decanter. "Interesting nose, dark berry fruits, smoky bacon and burnt herbs. Soft and succulent, harmonious with a long finish."