Domaine du Clos des Fées : Vieilles Vignes 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Vieilles Vignes 2023 Domaine du Clos des Fées

Tasting

Colour

The colour is deep, with intense garnet hues, at times tinged with violet, reflecting the concentration brought by the old vines and by the grape varieties that make up the blend.

Nose

The nose unveils an intense aromatic profile of ripe black fruit, spice and garrigue notes, occasionally layered with subtle woody touches from the ageing.

Palate

The attack is full and juicy, carried by abundant yet remarkably fine, almost silky tannins. Freshness, supported by the limestone foundation of the soils, balances the richness of the fruit and leads to a long finish, where notes of black fruit and garrigue linger.

Food and Wine Pairings

This wine pairs particularly well with roasted or braised meats with a tender texture, such as a leg of lamb or a free-range chicken. It also matches characterful Mediterranean dishes such as daubes, lamb tagines or spiced roast poultry, as well as pressed-curd cheeses.

Serving and Cellaring

The Vieilles Vignes 2023 is best served at around 16°C, a temperature that reveals its silky texture and aromatic profile without accentuating the perception of alcohol. Light aeration in a decanter can help its aromas unfold fully.

A Côtes du Roussillon Villages Shaped by the Old Vines of Domaine du Clos des Fées

The Estate

Founded in the late 1990s by Hervé and Claudine Bizeul in the limestone cirque of Vingrau, Domaine du Clos des Fées has established itself in just a few years as a benchmark of Roussillon. The estate, now run by the Bizeul couple, extends over around thirty hectares divided into one hundred and twelve plots across several terroirs of the Agly Valley. Driven by the singular journey of Hervé Bizeul, a former sommelier and journalist, Clos des Fées has distinguished itself through its devotion to old vines and the faithful expression of its terroirs.

The Vineyard

The Vieilles Vignes cuvée, from the Côtes du Roussillon Villages appellation, comes from the estate's oldest plots, aged between fifty and one hundred years, planted predominantly on clay-limestone slopes located notably in Vingrau. These old vines, farmed using sustainable viticulture without chemical treatments and harvested exclusively by hand, naturally yield very little, which favours the concentration and finesse of the grapes.

Winemaking and Ageing

The grapes for the Vieilles Vignes 2023 are harvested at full ripeness and transported to the winery in a refrigerated truck to preserve their freshness. After a short pre-fermentation cold maceration in stainless steel tanks with daily pump-overs, part of the wine is aged in barrels that have previously held one, two or three wines, and the remainder in concrete tanks, in order to preserve the purity of the fruit while adding complexity and structure.

Grape Varieties

Grenache, Lladoner Pelut, Carignan and Syrah