Sud de France, FranceWe revisit this wine 20 months down the road, and it's completely on track. Quintessence Rouge is an 80/20 blend of syrah/grenache. The latest journey for Château Pesquié began in 1990 from tightly selected plots of 50+ year old, south-facing vines that sit between 250-350 meters above sea level, on an old uplifted seabed of clay and limestone. The yields are impressively low at 30-35 hectolitres per hectare. A traditional maceration runs three to four weeks with pumpovers for aeration before the blend is aged twelve to fifteen months in a mix of stainless steel and cement. The colour is opaque, the nose reminiscent of Bing cherries, dried thyme, and black olives. The palate is rich and meaty with more black fruits, licorice, and black pepper flecked with orange peel. This is serious Ventoux at a great price. If anything, the extra ageing in the bottle has allowed the components to meld further and become an even richer presentation. Think venison, wild boar, or turkey as matching menu items. There is no rush to drink this label. As before, the freshness and vitality of this organic red is beguiling.Tasted: 30 November 2020Tasted by: Prices:
Sud de France, FranceThe Quintessence Rouge is an 80/20 blend of syrah/grenache. The Chaudière family began in 1990 from tightly selected plots of 50+-year-old, south-facing vines that sit between 250-350 meters above sea level over a mix of clay and limestone. The yields are impressively low at 30-35 hectolitres per hectare. A traditional maceration runs three to four weeks with pump-overs for aeration before the blend is aged twelve to fifteen months in a mix of stainless steel and cement. 2017 is very dark, reminiscent of Bing cherries, dried thyme, and black olives. The palate is rich and meaty with more black fruits, licorice and black pepper flecked with orange peel—a serious Ventoux at a very fair price. Think venison, wild boar, or turkey as matching menu items. There is no rush to drink this label. It can effortlessly age five to seven years in your cellar and will be even better in 2025. Again the freshness and vitality of this organic red is beguiling.Tasted: 12 August 2019Tasted by: Prices:
quicksearch
