Château Sainte Eulalie Minervois La Livinière Grand Vin 2015

Suave, sophisticated, and knockout delicious, the 2015 Château Sainte Eulalie Minervois La Livinière Grand Vin (55% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 15% Carignan) leaves no doubt as to the Coustals acumen and why La Livinière was designated the first Languedoc Cru. From the moment this hedonistic delight exits the bottle, the wine’s deep impenetrable purple robe beckons the taster. Savory scents of ripe blackberry, cherry, and plum along with a cache of exotic spices greet the nose and grace the palate. In the glass, the 2015 Château Sainte Eulalie Grand Vin unfolds gracefully, filling the mouth first with seductive berry and fruit flavors, followed by hints of chocolate and sandalwood which emerge in the mid-palate. All that the 2015 Château Sainte Eulalie Minervois La Livinière Grand Vin has to offer is carried on the smoothest, silkiest tannins. For optimal enjoyment, afford Sainte-Eulalie’s 2015 Grand Vin a couple of minutes of aeration, if you can wait that long, and enjoy it at cool room temperature (58º-62º F). Anticipated maturity: 2023-2026. Salut!

The Coustals’ 2015 Château Sainte-Eulalie Minervois La Livinière Grand Vin hails from an outstanding vintage and was made to accompany the finest fare from France’s most renowned chefs. Château Sainte-Eulalie’s Grand Vin is featured in a number of France’s top restaurants. Roast quail, served with a savory wild mushroom sauce; roast leg of lamb rubbed with garlic, olive oil, and Provencal herbs; and authentic Provencal cassoulet all make splendid partners to Château Sainte-Eulalie’s 2015 Grand Vin. Veal Scaloppini, fine cuts of beef, and pork pair nicely, too. However, one need not be a Cordon Bleu trained chef or even an accomplished country cook to delight in the mature, hedonistic 2015 Château Sainte-Eulalie Grand Vin. A perfectly cooked rotisserie chicken bathed in butter, olive oil, and Provencal herbs makes a splendid companion to the Coustals’ Grand Vin. Traditional Mediterranean favorites made with beans or lentils work well, too, as do cheese and tomato laden dishes such as Eggplant Parmigiana. Moreover, Château Sainte Eulalie’s 2015 Minervois La Livinière Grand Vin is a natural in the company of cow, goat, and sheep’s milk cheeses. What better way to finish a meal than a glass of Sainte Eulalie’s 2015 Grand Vin in the company of an exquisite Provencal Chèvre or Saint Paulin! Add toasted walnuts to the cheese selection and you will almost certainly need to have more than one bottle of this exceptional Minervois Livinière on hand. Bon appétit!

Château Sainte Eulalie has played an integral part in the restoration of Minervois as a premier appellation for world class wines and is the recipient of the first Cru of Languedoc. Under the ownership of Laurent and Isabelle Coustal, Château Sainte Eulalie ranks in the top echelon of Languedoc producers. This dynamic couple has resurrected and restored the ancient Minervois vineyards surrounding their domaine above the village of La Livinière, including the old vines at Château Eulalie. The Coustals grow Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, and Cinsault, the four traditional and most important grape varietals of Languedoc and the neighboring Rhóne Valley.

Isabelle and Laurent Coustal serve as winemakers and artisans in residence at their 34 hectare (84 acre) Château Sainte Eulalie estate. They fashion several wines from old vines, some of which are more than a century old, including the estate’s Grand Vin (this month’s feature) and La Cantilène, both from La Livinière. La Livinière has long been regarded as the finest terroir in Minervois, but it has now been recognized as an official “Cru de Languedoc,” and it is entitled to its own appellation. Grand Vin is Château Sainte Eulalie’s flagship wine and like all of the château’s wines it is hand harvested from old vines (some 110 years of age) and the product of organic viticulture and Certified Sustainable. It is bottled unfiltered in order to preserve its freshness and rich, haunting flavors. After more than a decade of outstanding work at Château Eulalie, the Coustals have earned a reputation as two of the Languedoc’s finest growers and winemakers.

Languedoc is the world’s largest single viticultural area, encompassing many appellations and distinctive sub regions – all of which are capable of producing fine wine. This sprawling viticultural wonderland stretches all the way from the Spanish border in the southwest, within sight of the towering Pyrenees, to the banks of the Rhône River far to the northeast. Languedoc cuts a huge swath of dry coastal plain and sheltered mountains from which flow the guts and the glory of French viticulture.

The Languedoc, whose name is synonymous with the language of southern France, was the first part of ancient Gaul to be extensively planted to the vine and has remained extensively cultivated for millennia. For centuries the Languedoc reigned as France’s most important viticultural area, but the region suffered greatly with the advent of phylloxera throughout the late 19th century and early 20th century, causing the Languedoc to languish in the doldrums of viticultural obscurity until late in the 20th century. Since the 1970s, a true viticultural Renaissance has been sweeping the Languedoc and the results are nowhere more apparent than in the favored appellation of Minervois and its first Cru – La Livinière.