Winery: Mas Gabinèle
Region: Faugères (Languedoc)
Locale: Laurens, France
Appellation: Faugères
Designation: AOC 

In a few words: Suave elegance.

Site: Nestling in the heart of the Faugères appellation, the vineyards cover just over 23 hectares on the foothills of the Cévennes overlooking the village of Laurens at an altitude of 180 meters above sea level. The terroir is comprised of ochre, grey or blue sandstone and schist soils, which are slightly acidic with a fragile structure. This is a high quality but demanding terroir which naturally produces low yields, of around 25 hl/ha. The landscape is undulating, and the vines are surrounded by natural hedgerows, woods and holm oak forests, cork oaks and garrigue. 

Grapes: Syrah 50%, Mourvèdre 40%, Grenache 10%. Vines are 30 to 60 years old. Double Cordon de Royat pruning for the Syrah and Mourvèdre, traditional goblet pruning for the Grenache. Vines are 30 to 60 years old, yielding 25-30 hl/ha. Manual harvest with sorting on the plot of very ripe grapes, betwee mid-September and early October.

Fermentation and Aging: Long macerations at high temperature (25-30° C), after the completion of sugaring. Extraction by succession and alternation of the usual techniques: pumping over and shedding. Early housing in new barrels, aging for 16 months. 18,000 bottles produced.

Notes: This cuvée, year after year, is characterized by a notion that is difficult to reproduce: balance. The more concentrated a wine is, the more delicate this balance is to obtain and maintain. We are immediately reassured by the deep hue of this wine, with purple nuances. The aromas develop slowly but inexorably: red cherry, violet, blackcurrant jam, ink, mirabelle plum, and mango. The palate wisely channels this aromatic profusion with powerful, voluptuous tannins.