Quite a few French film actors own vineyards, the most famous being Gérard Depardieu whose wines are over-extracted, over-oaked and over-priced. Château Bel Evêque - Corbières AOC – Elevé en fûts – 2006 – Alc. 13.5% - ( € 11,15), made from Mourvèdre and Syrah 35% each, Carignan and Grenache 15% each, is owned by Pierre Richard, a film actor well liked in French speaking circles but probably unknown elsewhere. Such “vins de star” are usually not worth purchasing (poor QPR at best) and this one is no exception; gutsy and flavoursome, with barrique ageing thankfully unobtrusive, but rather coarse; 14.5/20 (and might be worth considering if < €6). Link in French only- http://www.chateau-beleveque.com/accuei ... ist&ref=19 .
Domaine Gauby - Côtes du Roussillon AOC - “Les Calcinaires” 1998 – Alc. 14% - ( € 12,50 for 2006), made from Syrah 50%, Mourvèdre 25%, Grenache 15% and Carignan 10%, shows quite youthful deep colour with only the faintest bricking but, on the nose and palate, gives signs of incipient break-up with some old book aromas coming out behind the darkening but still present red fruit and full body. Still an enjoyable drink but on the way down; now barely 15/20. This was made before Gauby, one of the best estates in Roussillon, lightened his style in order to make his southerly wines more digestible (Calcinaires nowadays has 12.5-13% alcohol). Link in French only- http://www.domainegauby.fr/ .
Domaine d’Aupilhac “Le Carignan” VdP du Mont Baudile 2005 – Alc. 13.5% - (approx € 18) is made 100% from old Carignan vines. This is a fascinating bottle; colour is and opaque dark purple; aromas show red fruit, particularly raspberry and damson, and tar, liquorice and faint rubber; acidity is quite marked, body is deep and full and the tannic structure quite strong. Elegant and refined are not descriptors which come to mind but this wine is highly enjoyable being gutsy, complex and original in flavour with, I guess, some development potential; 16/20. Aupilhac is a fine estate and arguably the best in Montpeyroux. Link in English- http://www.aupilhac.net/anglais/?page=domaine .
I have unearthed a forgotten bottle of 1994 Terre Brune, pure Carignano from Sardinia. I plan to open it soon as, after this young Aupilhac, I am curious to see how Carignan responds to such accidental ageing.