Roca Fortis, Côtes du Rhône, 2008
Vignerons du Castelas, Appellation Côtes du Rhône Villages Contrôlée
Tasting Notes : Gorgeous, deep ruby red robe. Ripe, rich red fruits; Heady. Decant because this wine is unfiltered and it’s too big for its bottle. That is, when it opens up you get beautiful balance on the palate. It’s rich but not overpowering and it’s surprisingly drinkable in that the heady aromas don’t overpower the palate. Mature spices, generous and deep. Slight first wood, then light hint of garrigue herbs. If this wine were a steak, it would be a perfectly prepared then hot-seared T-Bone steak. Prestige cuvée. Even the label, austere and venerable, is beautiful.
Production Notes : Syrah and Grenache blend. Two years aging in 500l French oak barrels. Strict plot selection. This noble wine is the most singularly expressive of the Rochefort-du-Gard soils and terroir. 13.5% alc. Gold Medal Winner Paris 2009 Concours General Agricole (one of France’s most important national wine competitions).
Pair With: T-Bone Steak. Filet Mignon. Fresh caught deer, stewed, then smothered in a cepes or morel mushroom gravy reduction sauce. Most other kinds of game, too.
The land boasts two great and distinct terroirs, a sandy loam pliocène and Shingle Terraces of the plateau de Signargues. In the last four years, the Vignerons du Castelas have invested 2.1 € million in their technical processing and production equipment. Some of the improvements are: Grape traceability; Chiller system; Air conditioned storehouse for the wines; And a production monitoring system.
The Castelas, the 11th c. Romanesque chapel perched on top of the village of Rochefort du Gard, is where the name of the winery, Les Vignerons du Castelas, derives from.
Les Vignerons du Castelas – 30650 Rochefort du Gard – France
vignerons-castelas.com
Chérie Du Vin 