Ageability of St Chinian Wines

I am brand new to this discussion group - this is my first post...I look forward to participating.

I'm wondering if any members have thoughts on the ageability of St Chinian wines in general. I was planning to purchase a 1999 Domaine Navarre Cuvee Olivier - but thought that perhaps it could be past its optimum drinking window?

I would be thankful for any perspectives on this wine and the age-worthiness of the appellation in general.

Cheers,
Steve

Welcome Steve and great to have another Canadian here! You will usually get much response to any question, great folks here.

I did find this for you.........................http://www.wine-pages.com/guests/hamish/chinian.htm

Strangely I seem to have consumed less Saint-Chinian than most other Languedoc appellations but I don't expect that its ageing curve is much different.

In general I don't rate Languedoc wines suitable for the long haul but the best are really delicious for five or so years. That does not mean the wines may not hold for a lot longer but they can lose some attractive freshness without compensating by developing fine and subtle secondary and tertiary flavours.

There are exceptions, of course, like the Cabernet dominated Mas de Daumas Gassac and Marlène Soria's Peyre-Rose which demands about 10 years ageing and then strikes some as spoofulated in spite of austere upbringing (no new wood, etc.). Also some vintages are tougher than others, e.g. 1998.

This reminds me that I break my own rules and should imperatively open some bottles of 1989 Mas Jullien and Prieuré de Saint-Jean de Bébian.

I have never tasted Domaine Navarre Cuvée Olivier but one of my reference books rates its 2005 17/20 and reports a lot of old vines and one-third Syrah in its make-up. So the 1999, a good vintage in the area, may be well worth a gamble.

Thank you for the link Bob and kind words.

Tim- I really appreciate the details you've provided.

I'll take the gamble on the bottle. It seems like a great producer, good vintage and hopefully the juice has the stuffing to have lasted the past 8 years given the barrel aging and old vine composition.

I'll report back upon tasting. Should be interesting if nothing else!

Cheers,
Steve

There are exceptions, of course, like the Cabernet dominated Mas de Daumas Gassac and Marlène Soria's Peyre-Rose which demands about 10 years ageing and then strikes some as spoofulated in spite of austere upbringing (no new wood, etc.). Also some vintages are tougher than others, e.g. 1998.

Thanks for the reminder. Almost time to pull out the 1999 bottles then and hopefully they will have come out from their sleep.

Welcome.

I have limited experience with these wines, but I did post the following several days ago.

I tasted the 1998 Mas Champart St-Chinian 6 years ago, but I have no information about a specific designation. I liked this wine quite a bit, and ended up buying some of it. My database indicates I had the last bottle about a year and a half ago, and it was still very appealing. I do not recall seeing any of this wine recently. I think I will keep my eyes open for it.

That bottle was almost 8 years old and was just fine.

-- Clark

Re: pulling out 1999 -

I take it that you are talking about Mas de Daumas Gassac 1999 because my information from the RVF is that no Peyre-Rose was bottled from 1999, 2000 and 2001 due to pollution from a wall-covering in the "cuverie"; if you have bottles of Peyre-Rose 99, I would like to hear about it.

Incidentally the RVF guide claims that daumas Gassac, though long lived, is at its best between 7 and 10 years.