Chapoutier, Bila-Haut 'Occultum Lapidem'

Alcohol percentage: 14.5%

Organic

Area:
North Rhône maestro Michel Chapoutier has a long record and interest in exploring other wine regions and bringing his expert and biodynamic hand to winemaking there.

Michel spent over 5 years researching the Côtes du Roussillon and settled on land in the Latour de France area and the village of Lesquerde. Here soils are a mix of aged schist and limestone.

Grape variety:
The wine is a blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre, and 5% Carignan.

Producer:
North Rhône maestro Michel Chapoutier has a long record and interest in exploring other wine regions and bringing his expert and biodynamic hand to winemaking there.

Vintage:
Grapes were hand harvested and destemmed, then fermented separately with punching down of the cap and a long period of extraction – 4 weeks. The wine was then aged mainly in vat with a small proportion older oak casks for 4-6 months before blending. 2018 was a warm and dry year producing ripe and rich wines in general in the region.

Maturity potential:
Ready to drink now but will keep and can be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years. Would decant and aerate for an hour before pouring.

The Bottle Shop rating:
Dry and full bodied, with bold and juicy black fruits, pepper, and a touch of graphite. Tannins are resolved and ripe giving a fine structure and texture to the wine.