La Grange des Combes 2010 St Chinian Roquebrun - Red

I bought a case of this wine from Majestic just before Christmas and we tasted the first bottle over the weekend with some lamb. The first impression that I got was that this wine should be kept to mature for much longer for at least two or three or possibly more years.

The wine is a mix of the local black grapes Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre but primarily Syrah. The Syrah grape adds tannin and structure to the wine. Over time this tannin loses its bitter edge and the full fruit flavour becomes revealed. The wine, in my view, is just about drinkable now and it went down well with the roast lamb as the tannin helped to clear the palate.

The dry red wine was a deep purple colour and on the nose and palate it had a flavour of red fruits, spices and herbs. The wine was concentrated and complex and had a long length. This wine will improve considerably and it is really good value for money at around £10 pounds a bottle but you can buy it directly from the co-op for about Eur 9 per bottle.

The co-operative at Roquebrun now has its own mini appellation. It is well worth visiting the co-op which is in the St Chinian Appellation but it is a long drive to the Languedoc from the UK.

I have tasted and kept many of their wines but not the whites. I recommend their Seigneur D'Aupenac  and the Baron D'Aupenac. These are both red wines of very high quality and made from a similar mix of grapes. The Baron is made from 80% Syrah.

These are wonderful wines which easily rival the best reds of Bordeaux and Burgundy but at down to earth prices, especially if you buy direct. The St Chinian appellation has schistous soil and all of the co-op's wines reflect the climate, weather and soil of the region they have a genuine the genuine goût de terroir.

If you look for La Grange on Majestic's web site you will see that it is rated quite highly by an amateur and two professionals. I expect that this rating to improve after the wine has been laid down for a couple of years longer.

Also, look for the spelling error perhaps the master of wine got the spelling confused with Château de Roquebrune from Bordeaux; an easy mistake to make. This is another fine wine but of course that is a different story.


Please watch out for La Grange des Combes 2010 St Chinian Roquebrun  - Red you will not be disappointed. And, if you cannot afford the time to drive to the south of France than a trip to Majestic will do nicely.

http://www.cave-roquebrun.fr/

http://www.majestic.co.uk/find/product-is-09018