A special 6-bottle bundle of Cheteau des Adouzes, including 2 x le Tigre Blanc, 2 x le Tigre and 2 x Frère et Sœur to showcase the collection of Adouzes.
All wines are from AOP Faugères, a small appellation very well-regarded for its red wines. It’s the only Languedoc appellation with a homogenous terroir throughout. Here, the schist is king. This very infertile rock drains the water, making roots go very deep into the soil to find it, down to fractures in the bedrock. This unique feature makes the vines very resistant to drought. Schist also absorbs and stores heat during the day, slowly releasing it back at night, which promotes healthy grape ripening.
The majority of the 42 Ha (100 acres) vineyard features very old ( some are as old as 90+ years) vines of Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Syrah. There're also a few white grape varietals planted in the appellation which are rare. All the grapes thrive on this excellent schist terroir. The property is entirely situated within the Faugères appellation.
Le Tigre blanc comes from a north-facing plot at 300m (984 ft) altitude, with Roussanne, Rolle and Grenache Blanc in complantation.
It’s a wine with good fruit, notes of white flowers, and the characteristic minerality from the schist terroir.
APPELLATION: AOP Faugères
TERROIR: Plot selection. Schist hillsides at 300m (984ft) altitude
GRAPES: 35% Rolle, 35% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne
VINTAGE: 2021
ALCOHOL CONTENT: 13%
WINEMAKING: Manual harvest by crate at optimal maturity. The three varietals are picked together, then de-stemmed, pressed and vinified traditionally in tanks, with particular attention to the development and protection of floral and fruit aromas for this fine white wine. The wine is aged on the lees for 6 months in tanks.
TASTING NOTES: Pale golden colour with green hints. On the nose, the wine opens with aromas of white flowers, apricot and a touch of acacia honey. A nice, full attack on the palate, with notes of fresh pear, melon and almond.
SERVICE: Drink within 3 years with grilled fish, a seafood gratin or aged cheeses.
VINTAGE: 2019
APPELLATION: AOP Faugères
TERROIR: Schist hillsides at 200-400m (650-1300ft) altitude
GRAPES: 35% carignan, 35% grenache noir, 30% syrah
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
WINEMAKING: Manual harvest at optimal maturity. Carignan is vinified with whole-cluster carbonic maceration in order to extract intense aromas and flavors.Syrah and grenache are vinified traditionally with destemming and 20-30 days of vatting. The wines are aged in tanks for 12 months. Blending and bottling at the château.
TASTING NOTES: Intense ruby red color. Cassis and raspberry on the nose with hints of pepper and spice. Good structure yet balanced on the palate thanks to the freshness of the schist soil. Chill the wine before serving.
ACCOLADES: Le Tigre has achieved a 90/100 rating by Decanter 2022.
SERVICE: Decant the wine before drink. Drink with roasted meats, barbecue or aged cheeses. Can be cellared up to 10 years in good condition.
Frère et Sœur, meaning brother & sister, is the fruit of the best plots Adouzes.
VINTAGE: 2019
APPELLATION: AOP Faugères, Languedoc, South of France.
TERROIR: Schist hillsides at 200-400m (650-1300ft) altitude
GRAPES: 70% grenache noir, 25% syrah, 5% Mourvèdre
ALCOHOL: 14%
WINEMAKING: Traditional vinification. Hand harvest at optimal maturity. Grapes are sorted in the vineyard. Each varietal is vinified separately in order to obtain the best of their individual properties. Ageing in French oak barrels for 12 months.
TASTING NOTES: Carafe the wine for 30-60 minutes before serving. Intense ruby red color. Notes of fresh red fruit, cassis and black pepper aromas combine with hints of cinnamon, garrigue and vanilla. Silky tannins and structured, yet with elegance and freshness, followed by a long finish.
Jancis Robinson:
"This wine smells like dark purple satin dipped in tamarind and plum jam. It tastes like Portuguese coffee, bica, and more of that tamarind, and eucalyptus leaves crushed into a paste with green olives, and scuffed hot-summer earth, and the bunch of dried thyme that's been hanging for a year above the cooker. It should only be drunk with a shank stew that's been cooking for three days and is the colour of mahogany, glistening with ruby-gold pearls of paprika-stained oil and fragrant with armfuls of dried herbs and generous handfuls of black pepper. Real Faugères, rough-hewn, kinder than it first appears.(TC)"
ACCOLADES: 90/100 rating by Decanter 2022.
Food Pairing: Drink with steak tartare, beef tournedos or aged cheeses.
Cellaring: Can be drunk young to enjoy its fruit, or after several years of cellaring to reveal its full aromatic complexity.
The 6-bottle bundle comes with an original paper carton. Purchase 12 bottles, or 2 sets of the bundle, to receive a complimentary wooden case, while stock lasts.
Château des Adouzes is certified HVE 3, "Haute Valeur Environnementale level 3", the highest level of France's High Environmental Value Certification. It's a result of the vineyard's efforts towards virtuous agriculture: planting 2000 trees to preserve biodiversity, planting vineyard ground cover, mechanical soil work, pheromone dispensers, and etc. To limit the impact on the planet, the vineyard has reduced our CO2 emissions to a minimum. The vineyard also offset the CO2 emission by financing in ecological initiatives.
