PV Tasting Notes
Concentrated black raspberry and herb tinged chocolate aromas blend seductively when entering the mouth, elegant and harmonious, very well structured offering mineral dominated smoky herb and black fruits, like the Romanis there’s hints of roasted game/meat on the finish. Medium grained tannins provide the framework from which the fruit fans out on this totally fabulous bitter-sweet wine, remains juicy throughout due to fresh acids, the lift and refinement of this wine is quite remarkable given the lowly price. Organic producer.
Independent Review91 Points Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
The Gres Saint Paul 2007 Coteaux du Languedoc Antonin – a blend like the Romanis except with only 10% Grenache, and given longer fermentation – was tasted assembled from tank, where it had spent its whole life, the team having decided to dispense with barrels. Almost thick in texture, this nevertheless displays refreshing, tart-edged, vividly fresh black fruits and pungent herbal notes that lead to an irresistibly long, bright, saline finish. This striking wine should be worth following for five or more years and is an indication of the stylistic direction in which the team here is moving is highly promising.
Located in Lunel, near the coast just north of Montpelier, Chateau Gres Saint Paul is one of the pioneering estates to have demonstrated red wine excellence in a windy, gravelly environment traditionally know for its sweet Muscat. From the standpoint of terroir, Lunel is more like the Costieres des Nimes or Chateauneuf than like other parts of the Languedoc. Philippe Salasc – former proprietor of Domaine Capion in his home town of Aniane, and collaborator with Chateau owner Jean-Philippe Serviere since 1996 – reflects a sentiment much abroad these days in the Languedoc when he says “being the South, we don’t need to take any extreme measures. I prefer to substitute length of maceration for degree of extraction, and to work the skins very little.” The team here is moving away from barrique and to the use of exclusively tank and large oak casks.
Best with Beef of any kind, roasted, grilled or fried steak etc. well hung game and any hard cheese alternatively a new goat’s cheese, caseroles and all manner of rustic foods.
Year in year out Château Grès Saint Paul produce a succession of great wines of true value, which if tasted blind amongst some of the better known wines of the Rhône selling at four and five times the price they would be in the top selection from virtually every vintage. The two partners of the Château, Jean-Philippe Servière and Philippe Salasc are without doubt two of the finest life loving and generous people one could ever wish to meet, totally committed to producing the finest wines available throughout the Languedoc region. The legion of awards won over the past decade stands as testament both to their artistic skill and their stoic workmanship.