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Clos du Mont-Olivet, Côtes du Rhône “A Séraphin”

Rhône Valley, France 2016 (750mL)
$29.00
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Clos du Mont-Olivet, Côtes du Rhône “A Séraphin”

Clos du Mont-Olivet, run by generations of the Sabon family since 1932, is one of the benchmark traditional producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Their family home looks out at the ruins of the papal castle that gave the town its name. Their cellars are the equivalent of a southern Rhône winemaking museum. And today’s wine, an homage to the Sabon who started it all, Séraphin, is not to be taken lightly.
Humble price aside, this is some seriously pedigreed Rhône wine. It’s tempting to throw out the “baby Châteauneuf” moniker here, but in fact this wine performs like we wish more “adult” Châteauneufs would: It’s got far more complexity and subtlety than the Côtes du Rhône appellation typically promises, which would be surprising if it weren’t the Sabons we were talking about. Sourced from family-heirloom vineyards north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the village of Bollène, this Syrah-driven blend isn’t merely delicious but ambitious. If you’re going to make an ‘homage’ wine, after all, it had better deliver: Thierry Sabon, Séraphin’s great-grandson, has done so. This is memorable wine which is incredible now, but has many years ahead of it!
Having had the chance to visit with the Sabons last March, in cellars lined with barrels older than myself, I can confirm that this is one of the true ‘traditionalists’ of the southern Rhône. Thierry is the latest generation to head the estate, but he has preserved the methodologies than have served the family well over the years: Grapes are only partially de-stemmed before fermentation in cement tanks on native yeasts; this ‘partial whole cluster’ fermentation helps to tamp down some of the richness and sweetness typical of southern Rhône reds, lending them a spicy backbone. Aging takes place only in those old, large-capacity barrels, and the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

In addition to the family’s 20 hectares of vines in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, they farm roughly 12 hectares of vineyards about 30 kilometers north in Bollène, which is situated close to the Rhône River, not far from AOC-designated villages such as Rasteau and Cairanne. “A Séraphin” is comprised of 50% Syrah sourced from a rocky, high-elevation lieu-dit called “Montueil,” while the wine’s balance of 40% Grenache and 10% Carignane comes from warmer, lower-lying parcels in the sandy, gravelly soils typical of the region. Vine age in these long-held family parcels varies from 20-40 years, and the wine is aged predominantly in large, used oak foudres for about a year before bottling.

In the glass, the 2016 “A Séraphin” is an inky purple-ruby moving to magenta at the rim, with complex aromas that hint strongly at all the wine’s component parts, not just one. Aromas of blue/black fruits and a hint of violet and black pepper (Syrah) meld with scents of red cherry, licorice, herbs (Grenache), and ground coffee/cacao (Carignane). Nearly full-bodied and lushly textured for near-term drinking, it has a nice ‘snap’ to the finish that keeps it lively and refreshing. It’s straight-up delicious and very well balanced, perfect for occasional re-visits over the next 5-7 years. Serve it in large Burgundy or Bordeaux stems (both work well) at 60-65 degrees with a Moroccan-style tagine with some merguez sausage. There are countless complementary sensations going on there that will make for a rustic, soulful meal. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Rhône Valley
Sub-Region
FranceAvignon
Soil
Sand & Gravel
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Syrah 50%, Grenache 40%, Carignane 10%
Alcohol
14.0
OAK
Large Used 'Foudres'
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Bordeaux or Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2024
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Tagine w/ Merguez Sausage

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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