Château de l'Ou 'L'Ove Rouge', Côtes Catalanes 2020
A silky Syrah, with elegant aromas of violet, wild raspberry and spice through to a fruity palate with great mineral freshness on the finish.
The Syrah grapes come from the Côtes Catalans, which is the principle IGP allowing only mono-varietal wines. The vines thrive at an altitude of 350 metres in the Maury terroir, located in the northern part of the Roussillon region. The climate is Mediterranean, strongly influenced by cooling coastal breezes combined with mountain-freshness from the foothills of the Pyrenees which balance the hot, arid summers. The soils are made up of alluvial marls of the Roussillon plain, which imparts notes garrigue and freshness. The vineyard is certified organic, no herbicides or chemicals are used. Yields are kept low to ensure good concentration of the pure fruit flavours and the fruit is hand-harvested at optimal maturity.
The grapes were destemmed and macerated with selected yeasts for four weeks in a terracotta egg before being pressed. The wine was then returned to the egg to finish fermentation. The ovoid shape sets the lees into perpetual motion, naturally accentuating the varietal aromas and minerality, while requiring minimum intervention from the winemaker. Maturation lasted for nine months, resulting in elegant, fine tannins.
| RRP | £35.50 |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Alcoholic strength | 14.5% |
| Country | France |
| Region | Roussillon |
| Subregion | Côtes Catalanes |
| Grapes | Syrah 100% |
| Body | C |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | Yes |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Cork |
Château de l’Ou is a dynamic, organic estate in Montescot, Roussillon owned by oenologists Séverine and Philippe Bourrier. Purchased in 1998, they immediately converted to organic farming, an avant-gardist approach in Roussillon at that time, and the estate is now certified by Ecocert. The estate, which originally comprised 30 hectares: 26 hectares of vineyard and four of olive trees, has been gradually expanded by adding plots from across the region, by 2018, it covered a further 45 hectares. L'Ou’ translates as ‘egg’ in Catalan, and refers to an ovoid-shape resurgence of water that was located at the site of the property, which Séverine and Philippe wanted to bring to life in their project. Together, they use their expertise to cultivate the Roussillon terroir with its heat and arid lands to hand-craft wines using a variety of fermentation vessels, from concrete eggs, terracotta and sandstone amphora to barrels, producing stunning, supple cuvées which showcase this distinctive terroir.
