Domaine Peter Sichel - IGP Aude Pays de Cucugnan Cucuniano 2022

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

About the wine:

With Cucuniano, Alexander Sichel champions a Languedoc style characterized by delicate tannins and vibrant fruit.

About the estate:

In the 1970s, Peter Sichel founded a winery in Cucugnan out of a love for the place. The vines are planted in a steep-sided valley, at an elevation of 300 to 500 meters, cooled by a cool breeze. The grapes were sold to wine merchants before Alexander, his grandson, took over the estate in 2018. Alexander had previously sold grand cru wines to American buyers before falling in love with this forgotten family estate, of which he retains only 13 hectares on the southern slopes of the valley and in the commune of Rouffiac, at an altitude of 500 meters. He has created a collection of wines with a modern and precise style, certified organic since 2022 and expected to bear the Biodyvin label starting in 2025. We’re particularly fond of the complex and elegant Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, as well as the reds, which showcase the quality of the terroir and the winemaker’s talent.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

Transparent garnet. The label is hardly typical of the Languedoc! The typography is spot-on. Smooth and delicate, with a lot going on in the background. A very atypical Corbières. It seems to have that Bordeaux refinement.

James Suckling

About the wine:

This red wine from the south of France offers striking aromas of dried Mediterranean herbs, candied oranges, and dried cherries, along with a surprisingly light mouthfeel. I love the dry, elegant tannins in its medium-bodied palate. The finish is harmonious and slightly savory. A blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan from organic farming. Drink now or cell it.