The wild St Chinan vineyards between the sea and the mountains
Domaine des Jougla is located in
Prades-sur-Vernazobre, a village of 200
people. The famille Jougla who has
worked their property for many generations,
makes a red St Chinian cuvee
Ancestrale from a vineyard that is
very close to the Mediterranean Sea.
St Chinian was awarded its own appellation
back in the early eighties because of its
superior soil (schist, clay, and limestone)
and the passion of the winemakers there. If
you talk to anyone about Domaine des Jougla,
they will tell you the wines are a reference
for the area.
Here's what Paul Strang (Languedoc
Roussillon: The Wines and Winemakers)
says:
"This is a typicité house, but by no means
stick-in-the-mud; benchmark Saint Chinian,
in fact. Spend a little time in the
tasting room and you will find that most of
the Jougla customers are relieved to find
that Alain is not trying to achieve fifteen
degrees of alcohol, that he is not
over-oaking the wines, or aspiring to
membership of the avant-garde. Rather, they
have come to buy wines which flatter rather
than kill food."
This is a classic full flavored red wine that benefits from a high concentration of Mouverdre. The Mouverdre which takes great heat to ripen properly (so is very successful here) provides roundness and delightful deep red fruit flavors.
Here are some tasting notes from the domaine: "This wine is a classic of the appellation Saint-Chinian. The wine is a beautiful garnet red. The nose is marked by very ripe red fruit, licorice, and a hint of tobacco. The mouth is coated with slender but muscular tannins.
Cuvee Ancestrale comes from a vineyard
that is very close to the Mediterranean Sea
and right on the dividing line between the
schist soils of the mountains and the
limestone soil that was raised from the sea
when the Pyrenees were forming.
This means the wines have the benefit of two
soil types: the schist which produces wines
with mineral notes, some coffee and smoky
aromas and scents of the garrique
(those rocky outcropping laced with lavender
and herbs) and the calcaire
(limestone) which makes a wine with bouquets
of fresh black currants, raspberries, and
cherries. The Jougla St Chinian
Ancestrale is made from Mourvedre
(40%), Grenache (30%), and Syrah (30%).
It's dinner time! Don't forget the
Jougla Ancestrale! Cynthia Hurley
To order just hit reply and let me
know how
many
cases.
Delivery will be immediate.
