About this WINE
Domaine Mas de Martin
One look at the eclectic labels of Mas de Martin will reveal that Christian Mocci is something of a one-off; there is perhaps something of the eponymous patriot, depicted with a Hogarthian swagger on this bottle, in his affable bearded demeanour.
Farming biodynamically on pure clay and limestone soils just south of the famous Pic St Loup enclave, M Mocci has built a reputation for age-worthy wines of real character.
The Roi Patriote is a Vin De Pays, its vines scenically located in the foothills of the Cevennes, and a blend of Merlot (34%), Cabernet Sauvignon (26%) , Cabernet Franc ( 23%) Grenache (4%), Syrah (10%), Tannat ( 4%). The aspirations are clear from the impressive blend, its Bordelais influence from the Cabernets and Merlot evidenced en bouche by the silkiness of the tannins and the purity of the black fruits.
Southern Rhône Blend
The vast majority of wines from the Southern Rhône are blends. There are 5 main black varieties, although others are used and the most famous wine of the region, Châteauneuf du Pape, can be made from as many as 13 different varieties. Grenache is the most important grape in the southern Rhône - it contributes alcohol, warmth and gentle juicy fruit and is an ideal base wine in the blend. Plantings of Syrah in the southern Rhône have risen dramatically in the last decade and it is an increasingly important component in blends. It rarely attains the heights that it does in the North but adds colour, backbone, tannins and soft ripe fruit to the blend.
The much-maligned Carignan has been on the retreat recently but is still included in many blends - the best old vines can add colour, body and spicy fruits. Cinsault is also backtracking but, if yields are restricted, can produce moderately well-coloured wines adding pleasant-light fruit to red and rosé blends. Finally, Mourvèdre, a grape from Bandol on the Mediterranean coast, has recently become an increasingly significant component of Southern Rhône blends - it often struggles to ripen fully but can add acidity, ripe spicy berry fruits and hints of tobacco to blends.
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Description
The vineyards to the North of Montpellier seem to be the most exciting of all in the Languedoc at the moment, and Mas de Martin is one of the very best. Christian Mocci, as his name suggests, is from a family originally based a little further to the south and east, but his aspiration has not been entirely iconoclastic, merely to make the best possible wine in the best possible way ( in this case that means bio-dynamic) from limestone-rich soils located close to the famous enclave of Pic Saint Loup.
The blend is certainly not typical of the area, its Bordelais influence from the Cabernets and Merlot evidenced en bouche by the silkiness of the tannins and the purity of the black fruit character. The low yields (25 hl/ha) and clever elevage (only 30% in small barrels) have yielded a wine of measured power and sinewy complexity. Definitely a wine to decant and a good match for game and mature cheeses. Le Roi Patriote has, coincidentally, one of my favourite labels. The delightful and entirely unexpected Hogarthian swagger of the presumed patriot has won admirers in establishments not unadjacent to BBR in London, although generally the clubs of St. James’s prefer claret to wines from the Midi.
Blend: Merlot (34%), Cabernet Sauvignon (26%) , Cabernet Franc ( 23%) Grenache (4%), Syrah (10%), Tannat ( 4%).
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