Château Sainte Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie Minervois 2014

Madame Coustal has fashioned an aromatic, seductive 2014 Château Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie Minervois. Soft, round and beautifully textured for such a young wine, this Plaisir d’Eulalie highlights the qualities of Grenache in Minervois in the 2014 vintage. The 2014 opens up with aromatic fireworks from the moment it is poured: black cherry and strawberry fruit mingle with violet and dried Provençal herbs to delight the nose. Yet, what has always been most impressive about Château Eulalie’s Plaisir is how with just a bit of aeration the wine’s sensuous, constantly evolving bouquet seeps into the marrow of the wine, only to spring up into the mouth to satisfy the grateful palate. Full of juicy ripe flavors and soft tannins, the 2014 Plaisir once again strikes the ideal balance between fruit and acidity. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest serving the charming 2014 Château Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie at cool room temperature (60º-64º F) after affording it 15-20 minutes of aeration. Salut!

Although young and quite fresh, the 2014 Château Sainte Eulalie Plaisir Minervois drinks beautifully now with little or no accompaniments. However, this superlative Minervois truly shines at table. Stews, grilled meats, and flavorful pastas make good companions, as do most chicken, beef, lamb, and pork dishes. Some of our favorite pairings with Madame Coustal’s 2014 Plaisir d’Eulalie are pasta with white beans and vegetables, and penne with grilled spicy sausages, peppers, and onions. Each of these dishes highlights the sensual side of the 2014 Château Sainte Eulalie Plaisir. Roast pork tenderloin served with an herb encrusted black olive tapenade makes another splendid companion. Traditional Mediterranean favorites such as ratatouille, Eggplant or Zucchini Parmigiana, lasagna, and of course all kinds of pizza make fine accompaniments to this wine. Most dishes made with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and wild mushrooms are good bets, too. Salami, pepperoni, soppressata, and other smoked meats offer superb pairings as well, especially in the company of aged, hard cheeses. Enjoy!

Château Sainte Eulalie has quickly become one of our favorite properties in the South of France. Under the ownership of Laurent and Isabelle Coustal, Château Sainte Eulalie has joined the top echelon of Languedoc producers. The Coustals are originally from Bordeaux where Laurent continues to work. This dynamic couple has resurrected and restored the ancient Minervois vineyards surrounding their domaine, including the old vines at Château Eulalie. The Coustals grow Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan, the three traditional and most important grape varietals of Languedoc.

Isabelle Coustal serves as the winemaker and artisan in residence at Château Sainte Eulalie. She fashions several wines from old vines, including Plaisir d’Eulalie and La Cantilène. Both red wines spring from old vines from some of the Languedoc’s most renowned terroirs. Plaisir d’Eulalie is picked entirely by hand and bottled unfiltered in order to preserve its freshness and rich, haunting flavors. After more than a decade of outstanding work at Château Eulalie, Madame Coustal has earned her reputation as one of Languedoc’s premier 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, long before the Romans and Caesar’s legions had subdued the Gallic tribes, wine was big business in Languedoc. The Phoenicians passed this way, and not surprisingly the region’s beauty and superb conditions for the cultivation of the vine did not escape the first Greek colonists who planted vines there, making Languedoc the cradle of French viticulture in the fifth century BC. For nearly two thousand years, Languedoc remained the “big dog” and premier purveyor of wine to France and the world. Sadly, the glory of France’s most historic wine region – the birthplace of troubadours and Provençal, the lyrical language of poetry – ended in the 19th century with the advent of phylloxera.

Throughout the late 19th century and most of the 20th century, the Languedoc languished in the doldrums of viticultural obscurity, unless of course one considers everyday plonk as a beverage of choice. Once the proud bastion of French viticultural excellence, the Languedoc became the world’s major source of huge quantities of insipid wines, whose main virtues were none other than high alcohol and cheap prices – all of which were subsidized by the French government.

Fortunately, the story is quite different today. The Languedoc is returning to its former glory. The worldwide demand for cheap, coarse wine no longer exists; the emphasis today is on quality rather than quantity. In addition, the only official incentive for grape growers is to plant premium varietals, move back to the ancient hillside sites, and produce less wine of greater quality. Since the 1970s that is exactly what has been happening in Languedoc, which has led viticulturalists and critics alike to proclaim a veritable Renaissance in the Languedoc, especially in the favored appellations of Minervois, Corbières, Pic St. Loup, and on other choice hillside vineyards in the region that have produced fine wine for millennia.