Laurus
Côtes du Rhône Villages 2016

AOP Côtes du Rhône Villages Red

Awards

90 pts Wine Advocate
91 pts Wine Spectator
BRONZE Decanter

Tasting

“Ripe and fleshy, but soft and gentle in feel, with warm plum and raspberry compote notes gliding through, lined with black tea and incense accents that blossom and linger on the finish.” Wine Spectator, March 2019

Food & wine pairings

Beef with satay sauce – Crushed potatoes with truffles

Detailed information

Vintage

After a mild and dry winter, a spring without frost and a particularly hot summer, harvesting began several days later than 2015, with picking taking place between early to late September. During the harvest, weather conditions were truly exceptional, with warm clear days, fresh nights and some occasional light rainfall, stretching from early September all the way until the end of October. The sanitary state of the grapes throughout the region was excellent. So, this year again, the 2016 vintage is very qualitative particularly for southern appellations.

Grape varieties

65% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre

Terroir

A selection of terroirs from the Gard and Vaucluse departments:

– Gard: rolled stones and clay sub-soil for the Grenaches that mature gently with no hydric stress

– Vaucluse: limetone and sandstone that provide a fresh spicyness to the Syrah. South-exposed clay soils for the Grenache

Winemaking

Harvest between 12th September and 20th October 2016. Partial destemming and crushing upon arrival at the winery. 3 weeks of maceration with punch-downs and pumping over.
80% of the wine is aged in 275lt-oak Laurus barrels for 15 months (1 & 2-year barrels).

Bottled on the 27th September 2018

42 164 bottles, 457 magnums and 6 jeroboams produced

Service

Optimum maturity: 2017 – 2023

Service temperature: 14-16°C

Degree of alcohol

14,5% vol.

Technical sheet HD label HD Packshot

Laurus

Laurus means ‘Laurel’ in Latin, a Roman symbol of excellence. Here excellence is all about “terroir”: the grapes are grown on parcels selected for their ability to express the very best of each Appellation.

The term “terroir” encompasses a soil, a climate and people. Here it is expressed through sustainable partnerships with wine-growers who share our vision. The perfect combination of grape variey & soil, the precise maturing process in unique 275l. French oak "Laurus" barrels refines the structure, producing complex wines, with plenty of character, beautiful elegance and a long ageing potential.