Domaine Le Clos Des Lumières Cotes du Rhone Villages “Cuvee Prestige”
WHY WE LOVE IT
- This is the winery’s top Cotes du Rhone bottling – It is a very specific selection of vines from their best blocks. These vines lie on galet topped chalky sand-clay soil. Oak aging adds extra oomph and complexity. It is fairly modern in style.
Varietal Composition: 45 % Syrah, 40% Grenache, 15% Carignan
Elaboration: The harvest is done during the night to limit oxidation. The grapes are destemmed and crushed, followed by a pre-fermentation at low temperature to extract more primary aromas. The extraction of aromas, tannins etc. is enhanced by cap punching and pumping over of the juice. The vinification is done at controlled low temperature and is up to 4 weeks. This wine matures for 1 year in small oak barrels, medium heated. ¼ is American oak barrel and 3 /4 is French oak.
Tasting Notes: Dark red color. Pleasant nose revealing vanilla and jammy fruit. Round palate with aromas of red currant, vanilla, pepper, tobacco and cacao. Some tannins, but integrated well. Powerfull wine with a long mouth feel.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Clos des Lumieres is a 50 hectare family farm founded in 1946 by the grandfather of the domaine’s current vigneron, Gerald Serrano. The ambitious and talented Gerald Serrano is solely responsible for the recent “coming out” of this estate – Prior to taking things over in 2003 Gerald’s father was selling all grapes on the estate to the local cooperative.
Having grown up on the property, Gerald is intimately familiar with the terroir here. The oldest vines now edge 60 years in age and this land really seems to “pack the character in.”. We’ve sold massive amounts of Rhone wine over the last forty years, and these are the most well-received Cotes du Rhone values we’ve carried in our history.