Le Clos des Fées 2023

Characteristics and tasting tips for Clos des Fées 2023

Tasting

Colour
The wine displays a deep, dark hue with purple and garnet highlights, reflecting its impressive concentration.

Nose
The nose opens with a complex, intense aromatic profile, releasing scents of ripe black fruit. With aeration, it reveals characteristic notes of garrigue along with delicate hints of sweet spice.

Palate
Full-bodied and persistent, the palate charms with its concentrated texture and remarkable balance. It rests on a supremely elegant tannic structure that extends the pleasure into a long finish.

Food and wine pairings

This red wine pairs beautifully with flavourful meats, such as a herb-roasted leg of lamb, a fine cut of dry-aged beef or dishes with rich reduced sauces. It will also make an excellent match for game or well-aged hard cheeses.

Serving and cellaring

To fully appreciate this 2023 vintage, we recommend decanting it around thirty minutes before serving and enjoying it at a temperature of 16 to 18°C. With its fine structure, this wine has excellent ageing potential and will continue to develop gracefully in the cellar for many years.

Other characteristics

This wine comes from exceptionally low yields of around 14 hectolitres per hectare this year, ensuring optimal aromatic concentration.

A structured and elegant Côtes du Roussillon Villages red wine

The estate

Officially founded in 1998, Domaine du Clos des Fées is located in Vingrau, in the heart of Roussillon. Today, the estate is run by Claudine and former sommelier Hervé Bizeul, who tend a vineyard of some thirty hectares with an uncompromising commitment to quality. By refusing to buy in grapes and favouring very low yields, the domaine quickly established itself as an essential reference. It stands out for its meticulous interpretation of its extreme terroirs, producing wines that are expressive of their origins, structured and crafted for fine dining.

The vineyard

Spread across several sectors of the Agly Valley, this Côtes du Roussillon Villages terroir consists of clay-limestone and schist soils. The vines, some of which are 40 to 80 years old, grow in a sunny, well-ventilated environment conducive to optimal ripeness. The vineyard is farmed according to sustainable agriculture principles, and the harvest is carried out entirely by hand to preserve the integrity of the berries.

The vintage

The 2023 vintage was marked by particularly sunny weather in the region. These favourable conditions produced grapes combining perfect ripeness with lovely freshness, promising concentrated and beautifully balanced juice.

Winemaking and ageing

The berries, harvested at full ripeness, undergo long macerations and gentle extractions, with regular punching down in temperature-controlled vats. The wine is then carefully aged in oak barrels, refining its tannic structure and adding complexity to its aromatic palette before bottling.

Grape varieties

This wine is a blend of Syrah (50%), Grenache Noir (30%) and Carignan (20%).