Mas Carlot, “Les Enfants Terribles” 2006

The Farmhouse Carlot is a Farmhouse Of Provence of 17th and 19th century and is located in the Twyers-side of Nimes, in the South of the Rhone valley.  Mas Carlot is situated in the south of the Rhône Valley, extending across 76 hectares of pebbly land southeast of Nîmes. Originally a 17th century farm, this beautiful estate was resurrected in the 1960's by the Blanc family—it is currently run by Natalie Blanc-Mares and her husband, Cyril Mares of the neigbouring and equally reputable property, Mas Bressades.  Nathalie took over the property from her father Paul-Antoine Blanc in 1998.

"The appellation of Costières de Nîmes used to be considered part of eastern Languedoc but the climate, soil, topography and wine are far closer to those just over the river in the Southern Côtes du Rhône. It is a region with an ancient and glorious viticultural past dating back to the Greeks, who planted the first vines there. The Romans then developed this into a burgeoning wine trade whilst building the Pont du Gard and the amphitheatres of Nîmes and Arles. Over the last ten years this region has undergone a transformation that has witnessed the emergence of a younger generation of innovative and modern wine growers who are generally producing smaller yields and far better quality wine. It is now a region very much on the up and is widely recognized as a great source of excellent value wine." from the vineyards direct website

"The vineyards were planted in the 1950’s and 1960’s to the current varietals. The vines are trained using a system called Cordon de Royat, which helps maintain lower fruit production. Mas Carlot limits yields to around 45hl/ha, which is one-third below what the appellation allows. Nathalie likes to wait during harvest - picking late to obtain the maximum maturity for each grape varietal.  This Cuvée was created for the first time with the 2003 vintage.  This is a selection of really good old vines Mourvèdre and Syrah. The Mourvèdre was aged in barrels for one year.

This excellent estate in the Costieres de Nimes continues to turn out some superb bargain-priced wines that consumers should seek out for relief from increasingly higher prices as well as the weak dollar. The 2006 red wines all reveal zesty acidity, beautiful pure fruit, perhaps not the structure of the 2005s, but they are more friendly."   The Importer's notes; Robert Kacher Selections

Winemaker Nathalie Blanc-Mares best describes her wine; "This special cuvee was inspired by the spirit of our children, Blanche, Eugene, Olympe & Alexander. Along with my husband Cyril Mares, winemaker of Mas des Bressades, and importer Bobby Katcher, we've created a wine that honors their individuality and the richness of their originality.  This blend of old-vines Mourvedres and Syrah was aged both in tank and in oak barrels. Like our children, the charm of this wine is found in its complexity."

Blend:  50% Mourvedre, 50% Syrah
Production:  Not much was made.
Body:  medium - full bodied
Aromas: blue fruit
Color: dark purple

Tasting Notes:  This is a hearty wine with lots of spice and elegance. It unites plum and berry preserves with a raw meat character for an unforgettable juxtaposition. there are hints of herbs, cocoa powder and vanilla.  It is round, yet compact in the mouth.

"Dark and brooding in character, with lots of underlying energy, this showcases the pure blue fruit aromas that seem to be part and parcel of both good quality Mourvedre (Boysenberry, black raspberry) and Syrah (freshly plucked blueberries, currants) in counterpoint with smoked meat, beef blood and wild herbs, tamed by a hint of oak-infused cocoa and vanilla. (If this wine at all resembles Nathalie, Cyril and Bobby’s children, they are an intense, serious, impactful lot!)"
excerpts from: WineSF.com Blog

Wine Advocate: “The 2006 Constieres de Nimes Les Enfants Terribles (a 50/50 blend of Mourvedre and Syrah) offers oodles of fruit along with superb purity and freshness and a medium-bodied, savory luscious personality. Enjoy it over the next 4-5 years. Score: 89.” – Robert Parker, February 2008.

Alban Vineyards 2006 Roussanne, Edna Valley

Known for Rhone obsession, Alban Vineyards was the first winery in the U.S. to focus only on Rhone varietals and owner John Alban was one of the first proponents of Rhone varietals in California. Located in the Edna Valley AVA in San Louis Obispo County. Alban specializes in Syrah, Grenache, Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne.


"John Alban of Alban Vineyards is by any and all measures a pioneer of Rhône-styled wines in California, particularly Viognier. He established his Alban Vineyards brand, the first in America to specialize in Rhône varietals, in 1989... Almost none of the Rhône varieties he wanted to plant existed in California. Alban spent years propagating vines and then planting them in Edna Valley, a cool appellation just outside of San Luis Obispo. He felt it was a great site, especially for Viognier. John Alban the pioneer, has become John Alban, the spiritual leader, and even the “Johnny Appleseed” of the movement. Rhône varieties are now flourishing in California, thanks in great part to a man who wouldn’t settle for only chocolate and vanilla...." Gregory Walter   See more from WineCountry.com

Nearly all Roussanne cuttings in California, Washington and Oregon are descendents of those brought in by John Alban or Tablas Creek.... Roussanne (in the words of John Alban) "tends to be a rollercoaster". It varies often widely depending on where it's grown and where it is in its life cycle. And it's a polarizing wine; different people will love and hate the same wine. This makes it more of a challenge.... The first large tasting of American Roussannes, in 1998 at the Hospice du Rhone, was notable ... as the wines were "as different as they were fascinating". Read more from the 2008 Roussanne Symposium
Varietal Roussanne is a much rarer beast; it is more typically an ingredient in a southern French blend. Chateau de Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape has long favoured it and pioneered it as a varietal in a stunning oaked version from some particularly old vines. Roussanne is also scented, with something more akin to lime and blossom than richer fruits, but usually has much less body than Viognier. Blending it with the much plumper Marsanne, as has long been common in Hermitage, gives it ballast.
Roussanne, Viognier and Marsanne all come from the Rhône Valley, but until the late 1980s Viognier was grown almost exclusively around the village of Condrieu in the northern Rhône. Roussanne is grown in the northern but especially southern Rhône and Provence.jancisrobinson.com

In 1989, John Alban began planting vineyards on his 250 acre property. From this fruit, John Alban makes aromatically complex and explosively rich wines. He works entirely with fruit from his own material planted on chalk-rich hillside vineyards open to cooling sea breezes. The wines have exotic yet varietaly accurate character and and creamy sweetness to provide immediate pleasure, but have the balance and structure to age.

Body:  Full 
Blend:  75% Roussanne, 25% Viognier
Case Production:  450 cases

POINTS
91 points Robert Parker: "The 2006 Roussanne Estate, which includes 25% Viognier in the blend, is a heavier, more waxy style of white wine that appears to possess some tannin. As this varietal often does, this full-bodied effort comes across as a “love it or leave it” wine. I happen to adore this style, but their aging curve is almost impossible to predict. I recommend drinking these Roussannes on the earlier rather than later side. This offering would drink beautifully with fatty fish or grilled chicken dishes as it almost has the weight, richness, and structure of a dry red wine. Alban’s decision to add 25% Viognier to the blend has given the wine more complexity as well as a slightly uplifting character." (06/08)

91 points Wine Spectator: "Wonderfully fragrant, with cedar and pine notes to the passion fruit, marmalade and floral honeysuckle flavors. Full-bodied and nicely juicy, with fantastic intensity. Drink now through 2012." (4.30.09)

Eat with: pan-roasted black cod, yellow corn, fingerling potatoes, savoy cabbage & black truffle emulsion.