DOMAINE LAFAGE | Bastide Miraflors | Côtes du Roussillon | 2019
syrah | grenache

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Today we are are going to review a very intriguing wine that comes from Côtes du Roussillon, which is a less famous wine region in the south of France – Bastide Miraflors Côtes du Roussillon 2019 by Domaine Lafage. Languedoc-Roussillon is becoming known as a wine region where one can find amazing wines at affordable prices. But things were not always bright, as during the 1970’s the Languedoc-Roussillon was guilty of overproducing cheap jug wine. Old grenache vineyards were replaced with high-yielding grape varieties such as carignan. Since then, Languedoc-Roussillon has slowly been recovering its status as a quality-focused region by reducing yields and going back to old-vine grenache-based wines. This particular wine is a blend of 70% syrah and 30% old vine grenache (known as garnacha in Spain), made of grapes sourced from vines planted on schist and granite soils of Saint-Paul de Fenouillet vineyard, where syrah grape variety forms the wine’s main body and structure, while grenache brings to the forefront those dehydrated red fruits notes that are characteristic to many grenache/garnacha wines. In order to add extra complexity to the final blend, but at the same time to preserve the varietal characteristics of both grape varieties, this wine has been aged for 12 months partially (75%) in concrete tanks and partially (25%) in big (600-litters), french oak demi-muids. But enough with all that theory, that said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium-deep ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & vibrant
fruit profile: red fruits | black fruits | blue fruits | berry fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | wild cherry | cranberry
__black fruits: blackberry | aronia berry
__blue fruits: blue plum | blueberry | blackthorn
__berry fruits: wildberry | wolfberry | rose hips
fruit character: ripe & candied

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earth | savory
__spice: red pepper | nutmeg | anise
__oak: sun-dried oakwood
__earth: gravel | schist | slate
__savory: old leather | iron | brown olive
primary layer: fruity-savory

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: medium+
alcohol: high
tannin: medium
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol
body: plump | medium

//Taste
fruit profile: red & blue fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: spice
finish: medium
aftertaste: bitter-hot

//Scoring
DOMAINE LAFAGE | Bastide Miraflors | Côtes du Roussillon | 2019
variety: syrah | grenache
country: France
region: Languedoc-Roussillon | Côtes du Roussillon
rating: 91.9

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | drink now or within the next 2-3 years
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of France and, with a total of 91.9 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a very vibrant, heady and slightly unpolished wine blend, with a plump palate and a fruity-savory accent on the nose. The wine is still in its development phase but very close to its prime form, therefore we would recommend to either drink it today or within the next 2 or 3 years, as it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. On the nose the wine brings a mixture of ripe and candied berry fruits in the foreground, followed by a savory-spicy background and a very subtle, earthy layer in between the two. On the palate the wine delivers flat acidity, fine-grained tannins and an overwhelming touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which evolves into a bitter-hot aftertaste. All in all, this is a quite rich and seedy wine, that in its current state lacks harmony and finesse on the palate. Judging by the wine’s structure and its flavour profile, we believe it will pair nicely with any steaks with fresh cherry sauce or some timeless classics like duck breast. Cheers!

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