Domaine Jean-Baptiste Senat : La Nine 2024

Characteristics and tasting notes for "La Nine" 2024 from Domaine Jean-Baptiste Senat

Tasting

Colour
The glass reveals a deep purplish-red colour.

Nose
The nose reveals lovely aromatic complexity, blending wild cherry and blackberry scents with hints of liquorice. Mineral touches and dried herbs, evoking the surrounding garrigue, round out this bouquet beautifully.

Palate
Medium-bodied, the palate seduces with its concentration, depth and rich texture. The tannins are vibrant and well-balanced, leading to a finish marked by an appealing mineral salinity, offering immediate and accessible drinking pleasure.

Food and wine pairing

This red wine pairs wonderfully with grilled or roasted meats, such as a matured rib of beef or duck breast with sweet spices. It also goes very well with Mediterranean dishes such as Niçoise ratatouille, root vegetables roasted with garlic, or slow-cooked dishes like braised oxtail. When it comes to cheese, it beautifully complements pressed, aged cheeses such as Morbier or Tomme de Savoie.

Other characteristics

This wine has an alcohol content of 13%. True to natural wine principles, it is bottled without fining or filtration.

The authentic and generous expression of a natural wine from the Minervois

The estate

Founded in 1996, Domaine Jean-Baptiste Senat is a pioneering figure in the natural wine movement in the Languedoc. Located in Trausse, the estate spans 15 hectares of organically farmed vines. Today, Jean-Baptiste Senat, winemaker and owner, runs the estate alongside his wife Charlotte, co-owner in charge of administrative management. Together, they strive to produce authentic wines, free of additives, that faithfully reflect their terroir while prioritising great drinkability.

The vineyard

The vines grow within the Minervois appellation, on the foothills of the Montagne Noire. The terroir is divided between clay-limestone soils and siliceous garrigue lenses. The vineyard is trained in gobelet, a traditional pruning method that protects the grapes from the sun and promotes aeration. Yields are deliberately limited to 40 hectolitres per hectare. Harvesting is carried out entirely by hand, allowing for a rigorous selection of grapes from very old vines, some reaching 110 years of age.

The vintage

2024 benefited from generally favourable growing conditions in the region, resulting in grapes of lovely quality for this vintage.

Winemaking and aging

The "La Nine" 2024 cuvée is crafted according to the principles of natural winemaking. Whole bunches ferment spontaneously through indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks, for around twelve days. Aging then continues for ten months, split two-thirds in stainless steel tanks and one-third in wooden barrels, before bottling at the estate in March 2024.

Grape varieties

• Grenache (50%)
• Carignan (40%)
• Syrah (10%)