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One of the most beautiful places in Europe is Provence France. The Provencal sun, the mistral winds, the smell of lavender, the miles if vineyards and, of course, the fresh sea air combine to make this a paradise on earth. Le Chene Noir is located in the village of Cairanne on the left bank of the Rhone River. Cairanne is a lovely old village in the heart of wine country. The village sits on a hilltop with views of the vineyards, the other tiny villages and landscape. The Knights Hospitalers lived here in the 12th century and basically not much has changed. The buildings have been restored and some of the walls remain from the days the knights. Just outside these walls is the 17th -century chapel, Notre-Dame des Exec which was built to house the citizens who caught the plague in an attempt to prevent contaminating the rest of the village. Le Chene Noir carries the distinction of AOC Cotes du Rhone Village. This AOC is a notch up from generic Cotes du Rhone. 95 communes are authorized to use the Villages designation. The appellation controls yields to 38 hectoliters per hectare, Grenache is required at not less than 50%, 20% must be Syrah and/or Mourvedre, the last 20% must be of other accepted varietals, and the alcohol must be at least 12%. The grapes for Le Chene Noir were hand-harvested and macerated for 8 days to fully extract the color, flavor and tannins. The soil in Cairanne is clay and limestone and this gives the wine a certain rustic flavor. 30% of the grapes went through carbonic maceration which rounded the tannins and freshened the fruit flavors. Le Chene Noir pours a deep ruby violet color. The aromas of small berries, strawberries, raspberries, red fruit jam and spices greet you at the glass. The palate is dry, full-bodied and packed with red fruit flavors laced with a rustic charm and soft tannins. It is great to d rink now with beef stew or roast meats and will also cellar nicely for several more years. October 2008 Limited Series Newsletter (.pdf) |
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