Can’t say I remember how I picked this wine to sample, even though I ordered it only a week or so ago. I was presumably just browsing the Cambridge Wine Merchants website, and came across it. Not the most exciting backstory, but there you go. It is a low-intervention wine, which piqued my interest. Plus, I hadn’t tried it before, so was genuinely curious. And with that…
In the glass
I’d go with light ruby, although others may prefer medium. It’s very pretty, when held up to the light. It’s a bit of a chameleon. From one angle, just sitting there in the glass, it looks like, well, a red wine. But from the right angle, with the light catching it… Wow. I’ll have to talk to a real photographer to find a better way to try to catch this. I can’t do it justice.
The nose
A tiny bit of funk that shows up late to the party, and finds no one else there. A good, vigorous swirl brings out a bit more funk, and perhaps a very faint hint of red currants.
The palate
Intriguing mouth feel. I’d go with a medium-minus body. Not full on medium, but not light. There’s the faintest hint of petillance. Or zest? There’s something there that I can’t pin down, but it is not just the acidity. It has a lingering sourness to the taste, and a nice sourness that for once doesn’t make me think ‘grapefruit.’
It’s very nicely balanced, with darker red fruits on the palate. It has a very long something – I’m not quite sure it has enough presence to be considered a finish in the traditional sense, but a memory of dark fruits lingers on and on and on.
Rating
Yummy-plus overall, Very Pretty, on visuals. This is a wine that repays reflection and attention. That’s not to say you have to work at it, or it is a difficult wine. Rather, you’d be doing it and yourself a disservice by quaffing it down. And it is extremely reasonably priced.
Sustainability
No added sulphur, wild yeasts. Organic. There’s probably more going on here, but that’s what I’ve been able to pull from their website.
The technical info and such
13.5% ABV. Carignan, Grenache, Syrah. Domaine le Champs Des Murailles / Artisans Partisans. £14.99 at Cambridge Wine Merchants.