Domaine Les Aurelles - Languedoc Aurel rouge 2017

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

It plays on freshness and energy, length rather than breadth. All this while retaining Aurel's fundamentals, notably its incredible aromatic palette magnified in 2017. It finishes airy, with a great delicacy brought by this magnificent juice.

About the domain :

Close to Pézenas, some thirty kilometers from the Mediterranean, the domaine des Aurelles, covering just over ten hectares, enjoys a unique unique terroir, combining basalt and gravel in a breathtaking landscape breathtaking landscape that stretches as far as the Cévennes. Solen, the the first cuvée, surpasses most Languedoc wines. Aurel is the grand vin. Both cuvées are marketed after a considerable time bottle ageing and are wood-free. Aurel blanc is unique, released after several years in the cellar. this is a great gastronomic wine. Recently taken over by Matthieu Gufflet (Château Guiraud, Sauternes), a new chapter begins.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The volcanic terroir shines through in Aurel 2017 with its delicate grain, notes of blood orange and charcoal. The Mourvèdre-Grenache complicity will surprise us again in 10 years' time.

About the domain :

In 30 years, the estate founded by Basile and Caroline Saint-Germain has become a standard-bearer for the Languedoc revival and a powerhouse for Pézenas. At the end of 2022, the estate was bought by Bordeaux entrepreneur Matthieu Gufflet, owner of Château de Callac in the Graves, Château Guiraud in Sauternes and Château des Bachelards in Fleurie. Two years later, Basile Saint-Germain handed over the reins to Sandrine Garbay, director of the Gufflet estates, who continued the collaboration with oenologist Margarethe Chapelle. The 8.5 hectares of vines, managed biodynamically without certification, are planted on Quaternary terraces, covered with rolled pebbles and a few basalt flows from the Auvergne volcanoes. The grapes are then vinified in a bioclimatic cellar, whose energy resilience encourages ageing. The harvest, subjected to drastic sorting and 4-5 years of ageing, gives birth to a short range of rare purity.

James Suckling

About the wine:

Moist earth, dried herbs, olives, black raspberries and strawberries. Juicy, ripe and deep, with salty notes in the fruit that make you want more. Firm but elegant tannins. 85% mourvèdre and 15% grenache. For drinking or cellaring.