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Cabirau – Côtes du Roussillon 2019

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Cabirau – Côtes du Roussillon 2019

 

SKU: CABR012217-1 Categories: , , , Tags: , , , , Product ID: 77618
Producer: Domaine Cabirau

Description

After 27 years importing wine as the founder of Hand Picked Selections, Dan Kravitz took the plunge and purchased his own vineyard in Roussillon. Domaine Cabirau is located on a hillside below the ancient Cathar fortress of Queribus in the town of Maury, at one point the plot was called Cabirau.

The vines grow on steep slopes of schist, dark sharp rock that gives a distinctive mineral character to Grenache. 2019 Côtes du Roussillon red blend is 50% Grenache, 27% Carignan and 23% Syrah.

Tasting Notes: The backbone of the Syrah and Carignan ally perfectly with the opulent Grenache, giving a medium-bodied wine of intense black fruit flavors, redolent of mountain herbs.

Serve With: Approachable now, this wine will accompany fine meals of lamb, wild birds or game for years to come.

Brand

Domaine Cabirau

From 1980-2007, importer Dan Kravitz sold OPW (other people’s wine). In ’07 he took the plunge and bought 13.5 acres of Grenache vineyards in Roussillon, the French part of Catalonia. The vineyard is 20 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 20 miles north of Spain. Ten acres were 20 years old, the rest 60. The name “Cabirau” has been on the plat map for 100 years. The vines were planted on steep slopes of schist, dark sharp rock that gives a distinctive mineral character to Grenache, different from the earthiness of Cotes du Rhone planted on flat vineyards of smooth white river stones.
Fast forward to 2018. There are now 23 acres (15.2 Grenache, 1.5 Syrah, 3.6 Carignan,
2.4 Macabeu) in the village of Maury, previously known for dessert wines. There have always been two bottlings. As the increasingly prestigious Roussillon Appellation requires at least 3 varietals, the first bottlings were IGP Grenache. Today the basic bottling is Roussillon, a blend of 70% Grenache, with Syrah and Carignan. The flagship bottling uses the new Appellation “Maury Sec”. Based on old vine Grenache, it also incorporates Syrah and Carignan.
In 2008 Dan became the first American member of La Tautavelloise, a progressive Cooperative in a village adjoining Maury. The next year the two Cooperatives of Tautavel merged with one in Vingrau to form VTV (Les Vignerons de Tautavel Vingrau). Dan’s Cabirau has become the ambassador for the quality-obsessed team at VTV, with sales throughout Europe as well as the U.S., and soon (knock on wood) Asia.
Dan maintains a library of all of the wines produced from Cabirau (it’s time to drink up the basic ’07), and small quantities of the older bottlings remain available. Dan is happy that the wines have been well received both by the market and the press and that he is achieving his goal of a sustainable vineyard in one of France’s best and best value Appellations.

Additional information

Country

Region

Appellation

Côtes du Roussillon AOP
Variety

Vintage

Wine Type

UPC

097871015264
Case Code

10097871015261
Vineyards

Nearly 23 acres in total: 15.2 Grenache, 1.5 Syrah, 3.6 Carignan, 2.4 Macabeu. Vineyards are planted in the village of Maury in soils dominated by black schist. Parcels vary in age, and include about 13 acres of 25-30 year old vines, 2 acres of 40 year old vines, 4 acres of 65 year old vines and 3 acres of Carignan planted in 2009.
Composition

50% Grenache, 27% Carignan and 23% Syrah.
Viticulture

Manually harvested. From 25 and 60 year Grenache vines planted in schistous soils and a mix of old vines and newly planted Syrah and Carignan.
Winemaking

The Grenache was unoaked, the Syrah and Carignan underwent malolactic fermentation and 5 months maturation in 500 l demi-muids.
Alcohol

14.5%
Accolades

(90-92) pts, "…ripe, sexy, and voluptuous on the palate, with terrific purity. It’s certainly a gem of a wine…" – JebDunnuck.com, 6/18 (2017).
Vegan

Farming Practices

HPS SKU

CABR012219

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