Château Sainte Eulalie Plaisir d'Eulalie Minervois 2020

Laurent and Isabelle Coustal continue to push the envelope on quality, once again fashioning an outstanding Château Sainte Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie Minervois in 2020. Decadent, juicy, round, and beautifully textured, the 2020 Plaisir d’Eulalie (40% Carignan, 30% Grenache, 30% Syrah) bursts with dark berry and plum fruit flavors, all beautifully wrapped in plush tannins. Dense but smooth on the palate, the 2020 Plaisir d’Eulalie highlights the sterling quality of old vines from Minervois in the exceptional 2020 vintage. It captures all of the senses with its deep purple robe, savory aromatics, dense fruit, and powerful lingering finish, replete with a cornucopia of berries, violets, pepper, and garrigue. For those looking for a mouthful of beautiful fruit and a taste of one of the finest traditional country wines of France from that country’s oldest wine producing region, look no further than Château Sainte Eulalie’s 2020 Plaisir d’Eulalie. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest affording the youthful 2020 Château Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie at least 10-15 minutes of aeration before serving at cool room temperature (58º-62º F). Anticipated maturity: 2022-2025. Salut!

Especially jubilant and brimming with flavor, the 2020 Château Sainte Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie Minervois drinks beautifully now and makes an ideal companion to all kinds of comfort foods. Stews, grilled meats, and flavorful pastas make superb companions to this wine, as do a variety of chicken, beef, lamb, and pork dishes. Pasta with white beans and vegetables; penne pasta with grilled spicy sausages, peppers, and onions; and Chicken Cacciatore over bowtie pasta are some of our favorite companions in the company of Sainte Eulalie’s Plaisir d’Eulalie. Each of these dishes complements the sensual fruit of the 2020 Château Sainte Eulalie Plaisir d’Eulalie. Roast pork tenderloin served with an herb encrusted black olive tapenade provides another splendid companion. Traditional Mediterranean favorites such as ratatouille, Eggplant or Zucchini Parmigiana, lasagna, and of course all kinds of pizzas make fine accompaniments to this wine. Cassoulets, lentil dishes, and almost anything with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and wild mushrooms are good bets, too. Salami, pepperoni, soppressata, and other smoked meats offer additional simple but tasty pairings, especially in the company of aged hard cheeses. Enjoy!

Château Sainte Eulalie has been one of our favorite properties in Languedoc for nearly two decades. Under the ownership of Laurent and Isabelle Coustal, Château Sainte Eulalie has joined the top echelon of Languedoc producers. This dynamic couple came to the Languedoc to resurrect and restore the ancient Minervois vineyards surrounding the present 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, on stony terraces high above the village of La Livinière. Château Sainte Eulalie practices organic viticulture and is Certified Sustainable. It has also been awarded the distinction of High Environmental Value from the EU, which rates the entire activity of the producer from vineyard practices to waste water disposal for its overall impact on the environment – a very difficult and highly coveted distinction.

The Coustals serve as viticulturists, winemakers, and artisans in residence at Château Sainte Eulalie. They fashion several organic traditional wines from old vines, including Plaisir d’Eulalie (this month’s feature) and La Cantilène from La Livinière. Both red wines spring from old vines, some as old as a century, from the Languedoc’s most renowned terroirs. In fact, La Livinière has long been regarded as the Languedoc’s finest appellation and since 2018 it has enjoyed official Cru de Languedoc status, the first and only Cru of Languedoc. Plaisir d’Eulalie and La Cantilène are both picked entirely by hand and bottled unfiltered in order to preserve freshness and rich, haunting flavors. After decades of outstanding work at Château Eulalie, the Coustals have earned the reputation as two of the Languedoc’s finest and most consistent 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. 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.