Languedoc: Château Bousquette, Saint-Chinian

Updated Jan 2014: latest vintages etc. can be found in my all singing, all dancing St Chinian special supplement HERE.

A couple of forgotten yet plush reds (re)discovered from the tasting table at Millésime Bio organic wine show (Perpignan Jan 2008). I didn't get around to following up with the producers on their stands or writing them up until now, six months later although none of them is in danger of fading away! So 'ones to watch' perhaps or 'ones to call in on' when next in the area...

2005 Cuvée Pruneyrac Saint-Chinian (Mourvèdre Grenache) - dark fruits and liquorice with pepper and leather tones; fairly dense mouth-feel with firm structured finish; a fairly 'wow' kinda red. 90+?

Update 2010 from Millésime Bio organic fair in Montpellier. Owned and run by Swiss winegrowers Eric and Isabelle Perret since 1996, although the property's 24 ha/60 acres have been organically farmed since 1972 actually; quite progressive in the scheme of things. Bousquette (pic.) lies on the eastern side of the Saint-Chinian appellation about 15 km northwest of Béziers.

2007 "tradition" (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan) - dried fruity and smoky nose, ripe and liquoricey vs tobacco edges; tasty and soft-ish palate, nice now. 85

2006 Cuvée Pruneyrac (Mourvèdre, Grenache) - a tad reductive or struck-matchy (?) on the nose yet enticingly fruity too; lovely concentrated pruney fruit vs pretty solid tannins and fair oomph on the finish. 88+

2008 L'Absolu (Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan) - a dollop of sweet oak overridden by attractive black fruit / olive notes; quite intense and fruity with firm yet rounded framework, closes up on the finish; should be interesting when it softens a little. 87+

2006 Prestige (Syrah, Grenache) - herbal vs liquorice on the nose; rich yet very solid mouthfeel bolstered by delicious depth of maturing fruit and attractive weight, still young though in the end. 90

Route de Cazouls, 34460 Cessenon: www.chateaubousquette.com.