press

news

Corbières fra Sainte Croix
Domaine Sainte Croix ligger i Languedoc, i den høyereliggende delen av appellasjonen Corbières på grensen til Roussillon, og drives av det britiske ekteparet Jon og Elizabeth Bowen. Eiendommen omfatter 13 ha vinmarker, hvorav enkelte parseller er tilplantet med over 100 år gamle vinstokker av typen grenache og carignan. Bowen har drevet økologisk de senere årene og er sertifisert som sådan fra og med årgang 2008. Og det er en genuin interesse for vinstokkenes trivsel som står bak denne filosofien. Selv skriver Bowens på domainets nettside om beslutningen om å drive økologisk:

« This environmental commitment is not a market-led, politically-correct statement, rather it is a formalisation of the way we have been working for several years. During this time, we have seen an improvement both in the health of the vines and in the balance of the wines. As our aim is to express the terroirs of the domaine, we see the cornerstone as being the health of its vineyard ecosystems.»

Ukens vin er Le Fournas 2008, som er husets enkleste rødvin. Vinen er svært god for årgangen (som er godt under middels de fleste steder i Rhône og Languedoc) og er fra 1. november satt ned i pris fra kr 138,80 til kr 129,90. Le Fournas 2008 Domaine Sainte Croix, Corbières Mørk og ungdommelig corbières med innslag av mørke bær, krydderurter som timian og rosmarin og et streif av modent kjøtt på duft. Fyldig, saftig, rik og rund vin med flott frukt hele veien, pent integrert alkohol og tørr og lett rustikk finish. Økologisk dyrket. og svært vellykket for årgangen.

May 2010 - Great reviews from

Ste-Croix, Le Fournas 2007 Corbières 16/20 Drink 2010-2012
Great grip and vibrancy. A medium-bodied, easy-drinking wine packed with juicy red plums.

Ste-Croix, Magneric 2006 Corbières 16.5/20 Drink 2010-2014
An unfettered nose of bramble berries, intensely sweet wild strawberries and the scent of the garrigue. This wine sings of its home! It's full-bodied and generously, intensely alive. Full-blooded dark fruit, gorgeous freshness. The tannins are commanding, so get that roast boar on the table!

Ste-Croix Carignan 2007 Vin de Table 17/20 Drink 2010-2015
Seductive! Aromas of clove and eucalyptus lightly laid over loganberry and red plum. Cocoa. Reverberating juicy wild cherry on the palate entry, broad and unfolding layers of dark chocolate, smoky allspice, cloves and mulberry. Concentrated and long and thrilling. Elegantly framed by strong fine-grained tannins.

Ste-Croix, Celèstra 2007 Corbières 17/20 Drink 2010-2016
Damson jam, crushed blueberries and tamarind on the nose, sweetly spiced. A deep palate, thick and rich and substantial. Plush supple tannins, luscious fruit, and yet despite all that power a delicate finish, gently laid with fragrant floral notes.

Ste-Croix, Celèstra 2005 Corbières 17/20 Drink 2008-2012
Smells of rose petals! More delicate and light-footed than the 2007, with flavours of tiny wild strawberries. Floral, black raspberries and finely spiced.

Ste-Croix, La Part des Anges 2008 Vin de Table 18/20 Drink 2010-2014
Astounding! Essence of black mulberry and fig. Pure and luscious, whorls of black chocolate and Turkish coffee on the palate. Long. Outrageously decadent. Who would have thought that Carignan could do this?
(reviews by Tamlyn Currin)

Note : 85/100 - Domaine Sainte Croix – Le Fournas – 2008
Robe jeune et profonde. Nez fruité net (cassis, cerise), fond floral. Bouche souple, tendre, qui séduit par la fraîcheur et la netteté de son fruit. Un Corbières plaisant que l’on appréciera dans sa jeunesse.
Youthful deep colour. Nose of blackcurrant and cherry with a floral background. Supple and soft palate with a seductive freshness and cleanness of fruit. A pleasing Corbières which drinks well from young.

Note : 86/100 – Domaine Sainte Croix – Celèstra – 2007
Robe profonde, reflets violines. Nez croquant de fruit (cassis, bigarreau, mure) sur fond floral (pivoine), touche de condiment. Bouche souple, tendre, suave, qui met en avant le fruit rehaussé en finale d’une touche épicée. Un Corbières très séduisant.
Deep purple. Fresh fruit nose (blackcurrant, white cherry, blackberry) with floral background, jam and spice notes. Palate supple, soft and stylish led by fruit with a lifted spice note on the finish. A most seductive Corbières.

Note : 86/100 – Domaine Sainte Croix – Magneric – 2007
Robe profonde, grenat. Nez net, de fruit de bois murs (cassis, groseille), touche de tapenade. Bouche tendre, veloutée. Le fruit est bien secondé par une touche épicée poivrée. La puissance bien tempérée par la fraîcheur. Un Corbières typé.
Deep garnet red. Clean nose of woodland fruits (cassis and redcurrant), with a black olive tapenade note. Velvet palate. The fruit is complemented by a touch of pepper spice. The power well balanced by freshness. A classic Corbières.

From Terre des Vins September 2009 By Marc Medevielle
“ Discreet at the outset, Celèstra 2005, (20€) AOC Corbières, gives up little by little aromas of black cherry, black fig, thyme and fresh bay leaves. With a fine attack, powdery tannins, a long and mineral finish leaves a sensation of richness. This would accompany game dishes very well. Searching for complexity and the expression of terroir, these passionate vignerons are highly attached to their vineyards of limestone, schist and volcanic rock.”

From Irish Times Magazine September 12 2009
“ the clove-scented Corbières Le Fournas is one of the best value reds in the country”

From Irish Evening Herald September 10, 2009 By Martin Moran
DOMAINE SAINTE CROIX CORBIERES ‘LE FOURNAS’ 2006
“ English couple Jon and Liz Bowen’s estate in the hills of Corbières is a name to note. Their wine is a delightful mix of fruit, herbs and spice at a price that’s a joke, making it the star selection of the entire sale. Clear the shelves before they realise just how good the wine is at double the price.”

From THE POST. IE – 06 September 2009 By Tomás Clancy
Domaine Ste Croix, Le Fournas, Corbières 2006, (89)
”This is a really dark horse that bolts out of the traps with the speed of a thoroughbred. Do not let the absolutely rock bottom price put you off this wine, which is a complex blend of carignan, grenache and syrah. This is heady stuff, with an ultra-ripe base of dark berries and an earthy, spicy and heather-infused wash, leading to amid-length, juicy and quite raucous finish of real savoury spicy tones. A spectacular wine at a great price.”

From « La Revue de Vins de France » – August 2009
Le Fournas 2006 - 15/20
« Encore marqué par une belle jeunesse, ce vin offre du fruit et un boisé élégant. La bouche et de belle intensité et laisse apparaître à l’ouverture des notes de menthol avec une finale complète et longue. Un vin qui sera délicieux à boire sur les années 2009/2010. »

“ Still showing youthfully, this wine offers fruit and elegant barrel notes. The palate has a beautiful intensity, starting with menthol notes developing into a complete and long finish. A wine which will be drinking deliciously in 2009-2010.”

From DN.no (Norwegian broadsheet) August 2009 by Tom Marthinsen
Domaine Sainte Croix – Magneric 2004 – 91 points
Stylish wine, clean, fresh and dry. Dark berries, long finish. A delicious wine.
Stilig vin, ren, friskstram og tørr. Mørke bær, lang ettersmak. En herlig vin. Nå til 2015 TM

July 3rd 2009

Release Le Fournas 2006 to all Vinmonopolet stores in Norway. Here are several reviews by the great and good of the Norwegian press.

From Arne Ronold, MW *****
“ Mørk og ungdommelig corbières med innslag av mørke bær og krydderurter på duft. Fyldig, saftig, rik og rund vin med flott frukt hele veien og rustikke toner i finish. Økologisk dyrket.“

From Tom Marthinsen in www.dn.no - 86 poeng
” Ikke fatlagret. Økologisk produksjon. Veldig mørk, klar duft av krekling og andre mørke bær, noe lakris og urter. Tett, stram og tannisk. Tørr, flott avslutning. Til sommerens tøffe grillretter. Nå til 2012“

From Svein Lindin in www.vinofil.no 90 points
“ Dyp rød farge, Intens god duft av mørke bær og krydder, god fylde og balansert tanniner. Lang flott ettersmak. Godt kjøp!”

From www.tb.no
5 STJERNER
***** Domaine Sainte Croix Le Fournas 2006
(AOC Corbières). Nr. 51295. Kr. 123,90. Basisutvalg.
“Corbières er en av landsdelens mest velrenommerte vinbyer, der Sør-Frankrikes typiske druer – syrah, carignan og grenache – er basis for rødvinene som ofte har litt lakrispreg i aromabildet. Denne er svært mørk blårød med ren, fruktig duft. Vinen er middels fyldig med stor fruktighet og ungdommelig snerpende avslutning med hint av lakris. Selv etter to år virker dette ungt, og vinen tjener sikkert på enda noen års lagring.“

ALSO MAY 2009, ALSO CARIGNAN 2006 . . . .

The Carignan 2006 is also the featured wine in the reFRESH Magazine’s review of selected “Young Guns of the Languedoc” (their words not ours!). Louis Villard’s article describes 4 domaines who are actively seeking to push the boundaries and has this to say about Sainte Croix.

“ Jon and Liz Bowen took ownership of Domaine Sainte Croix in the Hautes Corbières only a few years back. To say that Sainte Croix wines are individual is a massive understatement; they are incredibly different to most other wines, and some of the most creatively made on the market. When tasted in a line-up of different styles and regions, Sainte Croix stands out with such ferocious punch that Rocky himself would be proud. (I only compare their wines to Rocky because the Hautes Corbières is very much an underdog region even within the Languedoc). Every vintage the grapes are tended to like a new-born child, delicately. Once the grapes are pressed, the wine is hardly touched during the ageing process. The wines at Sainte Croix are made from the soul and the soil.”

About Carignan 2006: “Carignan is one of the oldest types of vines grown in the Languedoc, and Sainte Croix is definitely one to try. On the nose is a touch of balsamic, blueberry fruit, backed by an elegant yet powerful blackberry palate. The wine has lots of minerality and the finish lasts a long, long time. All in all, a great wine.”