Domaine du Clos des Fées : La Petite Sibérie 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for La Petite Sibérie 2024 from Domaine du Clos des Fées

Tasting Notes

Appearance
This red wine displays a particularly dark, dense and black hue, reflecting a strong concentration.

Nose
Intensely aromatic and beautifully fresh, the bouquet reveals itself as complex and evolving. It opens with vanilla notes before unveiling aromas of blackcurrant jelly, blackberry jam and blueberry pie. These are joined by touches of eucalyptus, mint-infused cocoa, smoked bacon, along with Oriental spices and a subtle hint of fresh coconut.

Palate
The palate stands out for its voluptuous texture and silky tannins of incredible finesse. Both powerful and exuberant, with a surprising freshness for a southern wine, it stretches into an endless finish.

Food and Wine Pairing

This cuvée pairs wonderfully with delicate game dishes such as rested pigeon, thrush toast or venison fillet with grand veneur sauce. It also enhances sweet-and-sour dishes, such as duck breast with tamarind, as well as characterful cheeses like a mature farmhouse Saint-Nectaire or soft, washed-rind cheeses.

Serving and Cellaring

For an optimal tasting experience of La Petite Sibérie 2024, it is recommended to decant the wine and serve it at a temperature between 16 and 18°C. Built for extended ageing, it can be left to rest in the cellar and enjoyed from 2030 onwards, with a peak expected between 2034 and 2044, continuing to evolve until around 2049.

The Power and Freshness of a Wine from Roussillon

The Estate

Officially founded in 1998 by Hervé Bizeul and his wife Claudine, Domaine du Clos des Fées is located in Vingrau, at the heart of Roussillon. A former sommelier and journalist, the current owner has managed to elevate this estate among the region's must-know references. The vineyard now spans around thirty hectares, spread across a hundred or so plots. Renowned for its radically artisanal approach and its independence from official labels, the estate offers a diverse range, from approachable cuvées to true icons, all while showcasing the pure expression of extreme terroirs.

The Vineyard

Born from an extreme terroir, this cuvée comes from a tiny 1.16-hectare plot located at the foot of the Pyrenees, at an altitude of around 350 metres. Facing due south, these very old, pre-phylloxera, ungrafted vines thrive on clay-limestone bedrock crossed by a vein of reddish-black schist and mica-schist, exceptionally rich in iron. This singular terroir, swept for more than two hundred days a year by an icy wind from the northwest, yields tiny amounts of fruit and contributes to the renown of wines from the Côtes du Roussillon Villages appellation.

The Vintage

After a year's absence in 2023, a vintage the winemaker deemed unsuitable to meet the required standard, 2024 marks the return of this cuvée. The climatic conditions of this new vintage proved ideal, perfectly suited to the old vines of the plot, delivering perfect phenolic ripeness while preserving remarkable freshness.

Winemaking and Ageing

The grapes for La Petite Sibérie 2024 are harvested by hand, then transported in refrigerated trucks to preserve the berries. Maceration lasts around twenty days, with gentle daily punching down of the cap. Ageing takes place on the lees in new oak barrels. During this period, the barrels are regularly topped up with a blend of Syrah and Mourvèdre. Finally, the wine is bottled without prior filtration.

Grape Varieties

96% Grenache Noir, 2% Mourvèdre, 2% Syrah.