Savory and cohesive – if you give it time to breathe! We review the Chateau de Ciffre Saint-Chinian Terroirs d’Altitude from Domaine Famille de Lorgeril.
A red blend of organically grown Syrah (60%) and old vine Grenache (40%) from Saint-Chinian in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in Southern France. The wine is aged for an unspecified amount of time in barrel.
Sample submitted for review. The 2021 Chateau de Ciffre Saint-Chinian Terroirs d’Altitude has an SRP $27 and is available for as low as $22. The wine is imported by Albert Bichot USA LLC.
From the winery:
2021 Chateau de Ciffre Saint-Chinian Terroirs d’Altitude
AOP SAINT CHINIANGRAPES VARIETIES: Syrah, Grenache old vines. Château de Ciffre is certified organic since 2019.
TERROIR: The land is composed of limestone culminating à 350m, which allows a gentle maturing and the elegant expression of aromas. . .
WINE MAKING: The grapes are manually harvested at optimum maturity. Selected and fermented in small tanks with the amount of each plot. Emphasizing long fermentation (30 to 40 days) with very smooth extractions. Ageing in barrels.
TASTING NOTES: Dark garnet color. Hints of jammy red fruits add complexity and structure to the nose. Toffee and bergamot, with a soft touch of tannins on the palate. The Grenache gives strong and smooth tannins. Lasting flavour. Keeps for a long time.
SERVICE TEMPERATURE: 18°C
FOOD AND WINE PAIRING: Grilled meats, Daube de canard, cassoulet, Barbecues, poultry, strong cheese
13.5% Alcohol
Here’s a wine that really needs a lot of air to be at its best. We didn’t think it rated high enough on day 1 to merit a review, but by day 2, wow, it really came together!
The 2021 Chateau de Ciffre Saint-Chinian Terroirs d’Altitude opens with pleasing aromas of ripe dark fruit, red currant, leather and a little forest floor. It’s nice but nothing spectacular on the nose on day 1, but it gets much better and more harmonious on day 2.
Taking a sip reveals a tasty, juicy wine. All those flavors from the nose also combine quite nicely in the mouth. Smooth, a bit savory, it really shines on day 2 where it shows much better depth and is much more cohesive and savory.
It ends dry, quite long and just a touch grippy, just let it breathe! We put it at the low end of our 9 Taste Rating at 91-92 points.
2021 Chateau de Ciffre Saint-Chinian Terroirs d’Altitude
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Review Summary
Chateau de Ciffre Saint-Chinian Terroirs d'Altitude Review • Reverse Wine Snob
Savory and cohesive - if you give it time to breathe! We review the Chateau de Ciffre Saint-Chinian Terroirs d'Altitude from Domaine Famille de Lorgeril.
7.3
Pros
- 91-92 points
- Very good on day 2
Cons
- Patience required - it needs a lot of time to breathe to be at its best
