This is a single parcel wine that was made using ancient methods that were talked about in a poem by Hesiod (hence the name) and wow, what a success! Great depth, great purity, fabulous balance. The great shame of it is that it has only been made once and there are only 900 bottles! Even Bakke has shown once again his great skill and intuition for wine making and produced possibly the best Clos de Trias wine yet. Buy some now before it runs out!
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PRODUCER: |
Clos de Trias |
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REGION: |
Southern Rhone |
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APPELLATION: |
AOC Ventoux |
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VINTAGE: |
2009 |
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BLEND: |
100% Grenache |
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USE OF OAK: |
Yes, 2nd use 700L french oak |
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AGING: |
24 months on oak, 3 years in tank |
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AGE OF VINES: |
48 years |
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ORGANIC: |
Under certification |
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PRODUCTION |
900 bottles |
CHARACTERISTICS
Mid garnet in the glass, the nose offers jammy red fruits, hawthorn blossom, hints of leather and cedar wood and a background of white pepper. The luscious, mid-weight mouthfeel gives way to warm red fruits, toasty notes, rounded tannins and an extended, spicy finish. There is no doubt that this wine has the potential to develop even further, even though it is drinking beautifully now. Worthy of good food.
THE WINERY
Even Bakke is a very experienced winemaker from California with an impressive CV. He fulfilled his ambition of having his own vineyard when the family bought an old run down estate in the very north of the Ventoux appellation, in a spectacular setting at the foot of the Dentelles and Mont Ventoux itself. The attraction of the estate was the terroir, with a range of parcels spread between 360 and 420 meters, mostly in Triassic limestone clay, with fractured limestone and sand; hence the new name. With 25ha of mostly Grenache and an average vine age over 40 years, he has fantastic grapes to work with. 2007 was the first harvest and he has farmed organically and with biodynamic principles from the outset. A full certification will follow in due course. For Even, this is not a marketing ploy, it is truly a way of life and it shows throughout everything that is done at the winery. Even is clearly a talented winemaker, who has been able to take the modern winemaking techniques acquired in California and meld them in a natural way with the fabulous vines of this Provencal hillside. This wine alone is proof of that talent.