L'Apogée, St Chinian 2015

A very accomplished Languedoc Syrah blend from Foncalieu

St Chinian might just be my favourite Languedoc sub-regions.

And Foncalieu could well be one of my favourite Languedoc producers.

St Chinian, by the way, is set around 25 miles inland from the Mediterranean near Beziers and Narbonne at the foot of the Massif Central. It became an AOC in 1982 and falls into two distinct parts; the north has schist soils and produces the better wines. To the south, the soils are chalky clay and the wines less concentrated.

This Syrah blend is a true vin de garde, one whose texture and concentration require significant aging before reaching maturity. Born into a great vintage, at five years old it is still very youthful and quite closed up. That's not to say you can't enjoy it now, but it will need significant time in the decanter first.

L'Apogée, Foncalieu, St Chinian 2015 intense, concentrated and inky; dark berries and bramble fruits, florality with minty eucalyptus, cocoa and spice. Substantial and supple, complex and harmonious with very fine, well-integrated tannins. Still tightly-wound and youthful, this needs aging for several more years before it reaches maturity.

Very Good.

Herve Lalau has reviewed this vintage on Chroniques Vineuses and Tom Cannavan has scored earlier vintages in the 90s.