Bila-Haut Chrysopée Rouge 2020 6x75cl

Nose: the nose is initially dominated by black fruit, blueberry and graphite notes, and then opens onto hints of spices and violet. Palate: the attack is full, with a fresh, sophisticated palate of silky tannins. The blueberry notes make way for spicy notes that linger on a long-lasting salty finish with a hint of iodine. Great finesse and purity.

Vineyards

Cambrian mica-schist terraces, overlooking the sea in “lieu-dit” Taillelauque.

Vintage

The very mild winter was accompanied by heavy rainfall (+300mm accumulated in January). Spring continued with a rainy period, the likes of which are rarely seen in Roussillon (the equivalent of a whole year’s rainfall in a single month). These beneficial Roussillon rains came just when the vines were at their most sensitive, particularly to mildew but due to quick adaptation of viticultural practices its development was contained, but not without a notable loss of volume. But in the end, the rains made it possible to regulate the vines for the summer, avoiding hydric stress and producing a more bountiful vintage than in 2019. The arrival of the summer was perfectly timed for the continued development of the grape bunches and the beginning of ripening. Even though it was very hot and very dry, the accumulated water reserves brought the healthy harvest to optimum ripeness. The 2020 harvest was much more condensed than other years: all picked in four weeks, erasing the maturity discrepancies between the whites of Collioure and Latour de France, among others. The Collioure vines took advantage of this sunny climate, without water stress, to produce pure, elegant wines. On Latour de France and Lesquerde, the water and summer heat contributed to very well-balanced, structured wines. The biodynamic wine-making process revealed silky tannins and a beautiful aromatic complexity.

Winemaking

The harvest is destemmed without crushing prior to vinification. Extraction is carried out by pumping over the first week, then the following 4 weeks the extraction is carried out by slow infusion to build the wine’s finesse. 70% aged in concrete vats to 30% in demi-muids, for 15-18 months.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted Red Meats
• Pizza/Pasta
• Casseroles/Stews

Veal chop with wild mushrooms, Catalan rack of lamb with rosemary-laced rough mashed potatoes, griddled tuna.