About this WINE
Ch. Puech-Haut
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
Superb wine, and the first vintage for this cuvee, the 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc Tete de Belier, voluptuous and sexy style. Blackberry, dried spices, licorice, chocolate and ample ground herbs are just some of the nuances here, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness and depth, no hard edges and sweet tannin. Drink: 2014 - 2022
One of the highlight tastings of my Languedoc and Roussillon visit, Chateau Puech-Haut covers a whopping 170 hectares (100 of which are under vine) that are located outside the village of Saint-Drezery, roughly 10 miles north of Montpellier.
Created in 2000 by Gerard Bru, who sold his business and created the estate, Puech-Haut has employed the likes of Michel Rolland, Claude Gros, and now Philippe Cambie, to aid in the winemaking.
Despite the change in consultants, the style here has remained relatively constant, with the older vintages showing the same hedonistic, yet fresh and lively profiles that are found in the current releases. The on-site cellar master is Mathieu Ciampi. To my palate, this estate is at the top of its game and the wines go from strength to strength, what showing can be achieved with low yields and a focus on making the best wine possible. In addition to incredible quality, the entire lineup stacked with value.
95/100 Jeb Dunnuck eRobertParker.com #212 Apr 2014
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