Chateau Martinolles

A very ripe and rich nose with cassis, dark olives, chili chocolate, vanilla and dried herbs. Lots of cabernet characters. Very dense, full-bodied on the palate with some firm, sinewy tannins that will need some time to soften. Nice length, although extracted and ambitious. Try in 2024.

Limoux wine is produced around the city of Limoux in the Languedoc under four AOCs or Appellation d'origine contrôlée designations: Blanquette de Limoux, Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale, Crémant de Limoux and Limoux. Aside from the trio of sparklers, Limoux reds are a mix of familiar French grapes: merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, grenache, malbec or cot, syrah and carignan. By law it must be a blend containing a minimum of three varieties, with no two varieties together exceeding 90 percent of the blend and merlot must make up a minimum of 50 percent of the blend. Martinolles Garriguet is mix of merlot, syrah and cabernet sauvignon that treads the fine line between red and black fruits. The underlying influence is the strong garrigue influence of licorice and dried herbs that perfectly balances the fruit and spice. This was a great match to a beef and tomato stir-fry but it would work with duck and roasted chicken. Real wine and great value.