Domaine Alain Chabanon Montpeyroux L'Esprit de Font Caude, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

阿蘭夏巴儂蒙特佩盧克斯豐歐緹麗干紅葡萄酒

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：4944

Representing equal parts Syrah and Mourvedre Chabanon’s flagship 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux L’Esprit de Font Caude will as usual be matured for 24 months in twice-used barriques acquired from top Bordeaux chateaux, then for another year in tank, and not be released until it has had at least two years in bottle. At present, it behaves like purple plum preserves tinged with smoky-sweet machine oil, chocolate, leather, and candied herbal lozenges. Toasted nut and fruit pit bitterness nicely offsets the wine’s primary sweetness, although such impressions must be taken in the context of how distant this wine is from reaching bottle, let alone the consumer. There is a satisfying salinity to its prolonged finish. I suspect it will still drink well 6-8 years from now. Montpellier-born, though raised deep in France’s Massif Central, Alain Chabanon farms well over 100 acres of vines on his eponymous estate, still widely – but since 2008 no longer officially – known as the Domaine Font Caude, which was founded in 1992 and moved into its current facilities between Lagamas and Montpeyroux in 1999. Chabanon – who cites Alain Brumont of Madiran and Comte Peraldi of Corsica as two profound influences – practices elevages of widely varying length but generally very late release. He never regulates the temperature of his ferments, even for whites. (“The course of fermentation is not for me to decide.”) He farms organically but rejects any use whatsoever of compost. “It’s worked for twenty years!” he says several times during our session with reference to one or another of these unusual practices. Chabanon’s planting of Merlot predates the classification of his parcels as Coteaux du Languedoc, but it is clear that his affection for this grape guarantees its continuance at this address. He was inspired to plant (and graft-over existing vines) to Mourvedre after tasting Laurent Vaille’s results with this grape in 1992. Chabanon’s time in Corsica explains his interest in Vermentino; but he also answered for me the mystery of so much Chenin Blanc around Saint- Saturnin. It seems that the local cooperative hit on this as a novelty thirty years ago. “You can harvest late and ripe, yet retain refreshing acidity and low pH,” says Chabanon of both of his chosen white cepages. A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29

Tasted from tank, Chabanon’s barrique-matured Syrah-Mourvedre 2008 Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux L’Esprit de Font Caude lacks the primary fruitiness of its 2009 counterpart, with scents of bay, fennel, and black tea along with meat, leather, toasted nuts dominating the stage. There is a striking finishing emphasis on things mineral: saliva-inducing salinity and a suggestion of oyster shell. This is more interesting than it is sensually compelling, and I have to wonder whether a shorter elevage might have done it greater justice. I would plan on drinking it on release, given that for Chabanon’s L’Espirit, this comes only after two years in bottle. Montpellier-born, though raised deep in France’s Massif Central, Alain Chabanon farms well over 100 acres of vines on his eponymous estate, still widely – but since 2008 no longer officially – known as the Domaine Font Caude, which was founded in 1992 and moved into its current facilities between Lagamas and Montpeyroux in 1999. Chabanon – who cites Alain Brumont of Madiran and Comte Peraldi of Corsica as two profound influences – practices elevages of widely varying length but generally very late release. He never regulates the temperature of his ferments, even for whites. (“The course of fermentation is not for me to decide.”) He farms organically but rejects any use whatsoever of compost. “It’s worked for twenty years!” he says several times during our session with reference to one or another of these unusual practices. Chabanon’s planting of Merlot predates the classification of his parcels as Coteaux du Languedoc, but it is clear that his affection for this grape guarantees its continuance at this address. He was inspired to plant (and graft-over existing vines) to Mourvedre after tasting Laurent Vaille’s results with this grape in 1992. Chabanon’s time in Corsica explains his interest in Vermentino; but he also answered for me the mystery of so much Chenin Blanc around Saint- Saturnin. It seems that the local cooperative hit on this as a novelty thirty years ago. “You can harvest late and ripe, yet retain refreshing acidity and low pH,” says Chabanon of both of his chosen white cepages. A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29

Distinctly recognizable as a mingling of Syrah’s dark berries, Mourvedre’s plum and bay laurel, as well as the carnal sides of both cepages, Chabanon’s 2007 Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux L’Esprit de Font Caude is richly satisfying, with a polished texture and ample retention of primary juiciness even after three year’s elevage (the last in tank). Hints of tamarind, nutmeg, plum pit, black pepper, and toasted nuts add allure to ripe dark berry fruit that is entirely free of any superficial sense of sweetness, and this finishes with serious grip, promising at least half a dozen years of admirable performance. Montpellier-born, though raised deep in France’s Massif Central, Alain Chabanon farms well over 100 acres of vines on his eponymous estate, still widely – but since 2008 no longer officially – known as the Domaine Font Caude, which was founded in 1992 and moved into its current facilities between Lagamas and Montpeyroux in 1999. Chabanon – who cites Alain Brumont of Madiran and Comte Peraldi of Corsica as two profound influences – practices elevages of widely varying length but generally very late release. He never regulates the temperature of his ferments, even for whites. (“The course of fermentation is not for me to decide.”) He farms organically but rejects any use whatsoever of compost. “It’s worked for twenty years!” he says several times during our session with reference to one or another of these unusual practices. Chabanon’s planting of Merlot predates the classification of his parcels as Coteaux du Languedoc, but it is clear that his affection for this grape guarantees its continuance at this address. He was inspired to plant (and graft-over existing vines) to Mourvedre after tasting Laurent Vaille’s results with this grape in 1992. Chabanon’s time in Corsica explains his interest in Vermentino; but he also answered for me the mystery of so much Chenin Blanc around Saint- Saturnin. It seems that the local cooperative hit on this as a novelty thirty years ago. “You can harvest late and ripe, yet retain refreshing acidity and low pH,” says Chabanon of both of his chosen white cepages. A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29

Chabanon’s Syrah-Mourvedre 2006 Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux L’Esprit de Font Caude shares with its Grenache (Boissieres) counterpart a high-toned as well as confitured and faintly desiccated fruit personality. Plum paste, cherry jam, dark and dark chocolate in the nose gain counterpoint from salt and crushed stone on a finely if noticeably tannic palate, leading to a satisfyingly long finish. I expect that this will be best savored over the next several years (though it is only just about to be released!) Montpellier-born, though raised deep in France’s Massif Central, Alain Chabanon farms well over 100 acres of vines on his eponymous estate, still widely – but since 2008 no longer officially – known as the Domaine Font Caude, which was founded in 1992 and moved into its current facilities between Lagamas and Montpeyroux in 1999. Chabanon – who cites Alain Brumont of Madiran and Comte Peraldi of Corsica as two profound influences – practices elevages of widely varying length but generally very late release. He never regulates the temperature of his ferments, even for whites. (“The course of fermentation is not for me to decide.”) He farms organically but rejects any use whatsoever of compost. “It’s worked for twenty years!” he says several times during our session with reference to one or another of these unusual practices. Chabanon’s planting of Merlot predates the classification of his parcels as Coteaux du Languedoc, but it is clear that his affection for this grape guarantees its continuance at this address. He was inspired to plant (and graft-over existing vines) to Mourvedre after tasting Laurent Vaille’s results with this grape in 1992. Chabanon’s time in Corsica explains his interest in Vermentino; but he also answered for me the mystery of so much Chenin Blanc around Saint- Saturnin. It seems that the local cooperative hit on this as a novelty thirty years ago. “You can harvest late and ripe, yet retain refreshing acidity and low pH,” says Chabanon of both of his chosen white cepages. A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29

Game, toasted nuts, and a maritime saline-alkaline meld rise from the glass of Chabanon 2005 Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux L’Esprit de Font Caude, whose firm palate retains only a modicum of primary juiciness and suggests to me – its considerable tannin notwithstanding – a wine best be drunk over the coming year or two. There is considerable animal, leather, and mineral complexity though, and a persistent finish despite some sense of drying at the edges. A couple of older examples of L’Espirit de Font Caude that I tasted suggested that this wine takes on much more strongly animal tones as it ages and/or that recent vintages are for whatever reason retaining more fruit and less funk. Montpellier-born, though raised deep in France’s Massif Central, Alain Chabanon farms well over 100 acres of vines on his eponymous estate, still widely – but since 2008 no longer officially – known as the Domaine Font Caude, which was founded in 1992 and moved into its current facilities between Lagamas and Montpeyroux in 1999. Chabanon – who cites Alain Brumont of Madiran and Comte Peraldi of Corsica as two profound influences – practices elevages of widely varying length but generally very late release. He never regulates the temperature of his ferments, even for whites. (“The course of fermentation is not for me to decide.”) He farms organically but rejects any use whatsoever of compost. “It’s worked for twenty years!” he says several times during our session with reference to one or another of these unusual practices. Chabanon’s planting of Merlot predates the classification of his parcels as Coteaux du Languedoc, but it is clear that his affection for this grape guarantees its continuance at this address. He was inspired to plant (and graft-over existing vines) to Mourvedre after tasting Laurent Vaille’s results with this grape in 1992. Chabanon’s time in Corsica explains his interest in Vermentino; but he also answered for me the mystery of so much Chenin Blanc around Saint- Saturnin. It seems that the local cooperative hit on this as a novelty thirty years ago. “You can harvest late and ripe, yet retain refreshing acidity and low pH,” says Chabanon of both of his chosen white cepages. A Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29