l'Absurde Genie des Fleurs - 'Catifea' - Carignan - Hérault, Languedoc-Rousillon, FR - 2023
Regular price $40.00
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Request a Case OrderSatellite's Hot Take
Lean and yet so dark in character and color - there is so much sage here. So much of the hills of Roussillon is in here - exuding chaparral and violets along with a gloriously joyful fruit.
Notes from the Winery/Importer
Carignan, 3 weeks maceration whole bunch, elevage on lees in stainless steel
Notes on the Producer
L’Absurde Génie des Fleurs is the winemaking partnership of Tom Gautier and Miha Trifa. They moved to Bédarieux in Hérault (a village near Montpellier) in 2016, acquiring their first small plot of vines on the limestone plateau above the Orb River. They started a micro-production, producing only a few thousand bottles across a handful local varieties of mostly Cinsault, Carignan and Clairette; in addition to grapes purchased from local vignerons including François Aubry, Rémi Poujol, and Julien Peyras. They expanded in 2019, with the opportunity to take on 5.5ha of old, gobelet-trained vines in Clairac from local vigneron Bernard Milhaud. Their farming is still in the process of organic conversion. Grapes include Cinsault, Aramon, Carignan, Grand Noir de la Calmette, Morastel, Mourvèdre, Terret, and Chardonnay. They include a range of crown-capped bottles, where the cuvées are named after gnomes from Romanian folklore, taken from Miha’s native Romania.
Grapes & Style
Carignan
Carignan is an old Mediterranean red grape, long associated with southern France, Spain, and other warm, dry regions. For years it was treated as a workhorse because it can be highly productive, but old-vine Carignan has helped rebuild its reputation as a grape capable of real character and energy.
In the vineyard, Carignan buds and ripens late, so it needs warmth and a long season. It can give high yields, but quality improves dramatically when yields are naturally limited, especially from old bush vines. Its naturally high acidity and firm tannin can be very useful in hot climates.
In the glass, Carignan often shows dark cherry, plum, wild herbs, pepper, earth, and a rustic savory streak. It can be a bit angular if handled poorly, but the better examples have freshness, grip, and a satisfying old-vine depth. It’s a grape we like when it’s allowed to be vivid and a little wild rather than polished into anonymity.