A “Marriage” of Great Terroirs in the South of France’s Languedoc – Rich & Full-Bodied Red

Domaine d’Aupilhac “La Boda” (Montpeyroux Languedoc 2014)
Special Price: $243/6-pack (~$41/bottle)

After recently drinking a bottle of 2014 Domaine d’Aupilhac’s stunning cuvée “La Boda” paired with a luscious cut of beef we couldn’t be more pleased with its evolution over a year after its initial release. It practically fills the room with fragrant notes of ripe blueberries and blackberries, garden herbs and crushed stone. A sip is simultaneously ripe and electric, filled with pure fruit balanced by a marathon finish. While this wine will provide pleasure for many years to come it is drinking so well today it might not last in the cellar.

“La Boda” gets its name from the Spanish word for marriage. The blend is a union of terroirs: 45% Syrah comes from the north-west facing vineyard of “Les Cocalières” that is situated at an altitude of some 1,150 feet and rich in prehistoric oyster fossil deposits, which lend an incredible length and minerality to the wine. The remaining 45% Mourvèdre and 10% Carignan come from the “Aupilhac” vineyards on south-west facing hillside terraces.

The lieux-dits of Aupilhac and Les Cocalières are renowned, fully biodynamic-certified properties located in the enclave of Montpeyroux just across the river Hérault from Daumas Gassac and Grange des Pères. Though five generations have farmed these choice vineyards, it is Sylvain Fadat that brought the estate its acclaim. Not one to shy away from hard work, Sylvain cultivates vines on steep, extremely rocky terrain, and has even terraced much of the land himself – an enormous financial investment and back-breaking work but necessary in this case to reveal a great terroir.

Sylvain believes that effort in the vineyard has the most influence on the quality of his wine and he is in tune with every nook and cranny of his varied parcels, coaxing old vines to root deep into soils of limestone, clay, scree, and blue marl. The grapes are harvested by hand and only indigenous yeasts are used. The wines are bottled unfiltered in accordance with the lunar cycle and optimal atmospheric pressure. It’s the meticulous attention to each and every one of the small details that results in a deep, rich, and vibrant wine of great expression.

- - -
Posted on 2019.01.04 in France, Saturday Sips Wines, Languedoc-Roussillon