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Domaine de Barroubio, Minervois, Vins Doux Naturels Saint Jean de Minervois
Raymond Miquel
Raymond Miquel’s family once owned a large number of vineyards around the St Jean de Minervois region, but with phylloxera, and times of recession, the vineyards shrank, and the family now farm a more modest domaine of 17 hectares, producing one of the most exciting range of wines from the Muscat grape that we have found in France, as well as excellent quality red Minervois. Raymond produces no less than six cuvées from his ten hectares of Muscat, ranging from dry table wine style, through the more usual Vin Doux Naturels, to late picked special cuvées. We have chosen four of our favourite cuvées to demonstrate his genius. The
Cuvée Noire is his classic fresh Muscat, hand picked, bottled early to maximize the fresh, grapey fruit. The
Cuvée Bleue is from 100% Muscat a Petit Grains, hand picked, and aged in wood for nine months on its fine lees. It has more weight of fruit than the usual Vin Doux Naturel, and is a better food wine. The
Cuvée Nicolas is a late picked wine, with a very low yield, vinified using maceration carbonique, with mutage on the skins.
The wine spends two years in wood, and the 2001 is outstanding.. It has a raisiny honeyed nose, with very perfumed, grapey fruit.This
is only produced in suitable vintages, and there will be no 2002 or 2003. The Grain d’Automne from low yield, late picked Muscat a Petit Grain, unfortified, with delicious residual sweetness.
The seven hectares of red produce
three Cuvées; the basic Minervois, from around 40%
Carignan, and 30% each Syrah and Grenache, is fruity, juicy, easy
and forward in style, delicious and uncomplicated. The Cuvée
Marie Therese is from 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache, with long
maceration, and one year in new oak barriques. The wine has
elegant spicy fruit, with good length, and more sophistication.
His Cuvée Jean Miquel is our favourite; from 80% old
Carignan and 20% Grenache, with a yield of just 35 hectolitres per
hectare, and 30 days cuvaison on the skins, followed by twelve
months ageing in oak barriques. (The youngest Carignan in this
cuvée is from 1903!) Rich, concentrated peppery fruit, with silky
ripe tannins, powerful structured fruit, yet already approachable. |