Clos du Gravillas, Lo Vielh Carignan 2021

In 1996 John and Nicole Bojanowski, a young Franco-American couple, purchased Clos de Gravillas in the Minervois region of south-western France and embarked upon a journey of making wine to best reflect the terroir of limestone gravel of their vineyards, where grapes have been grown for hundreds of years.

Perched on a plateau at an elevation of almost 1000ft, this 15-acre winery lies between the St. Chinian and Minerve canyons in the Parc Naturel of the Haut Languedoc just south of the Black Mountains. This location provides cool evening winds that let the grapes better retain their acidity and the hot summer temperatures assure the development of the necessary alcohol to balance acidity. This element of their terroir helps the grapes develop maximum depth of flavour.

The estate’s story begins with Nicole. She came to plant Syrah, Cabernet, and Mourvedre in the promising terroir of St. Jean de Minervois. Things got even more exciting in 1999, when she began rehabilitating six acres of Carignan that was planted in 1911, and a small amount of Grenache Gris. Not surprisingly, wines made from these plantings are now the current stars of the estate’s line-up.

TASTING NOTES
Aged in large oak barrels for 14 months. Rich dark fruits, wild and complex, with notes of tobacco leaf and dark chocolate, great minerality and silky smooth tannins combine in a lingering finish.

REVIEWS & AWARDS
“Rich fruit, some menthol and tobacco notes, this Carignan shows a surprising balance, dense and fresh, and a serenity in its expression in the mouth.” – Bettane and Desseauve Grand – Wine Guide France

This wine is from a certified producer.