Chateau Simone Rouge 2007: Rene Rougier
Description
A rare unreconstructed historical gem that belies comparison. Complex ‘cigar box’, sandalwood and sous bois aromas precede a rich, evolved palate with some mushroom and resinous notes – it is often mistaken for top-quality Bordeaux. Plump tannins and a balanced acidity yield a red wine that improves considerably with bottle age.
- Style: Red Wine, Dry (Sec), Full-bodied
- Region: Provence, Palette,
- Producer: René Rougier
- Vintage: 2007
- Grape variety (Cépage): Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Other local varietals, Syrah
- Wine pairing - drink with: Beef, Lamb
- Cellarage: Approachable after 2 years but will improve over 10 in a good vintage.
- Vinification: Hand harvested (90%), de-stemmed grapes undergo a 15 day cuvaison in large old Hungarian oak barrels of various sizes. After a year in wood and four rackings, the wine is assembled and put into smaller standard casks to marry for a further year before fining and bottling.
- Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 13%
- Full Tasting Notes (PDF): Download
Château Simone Rouge 2007: René Rougier
The Château Simone rouge has a long élevage (of at least 18 months) in used oak barrels and is blended from Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah and small volumes of curiosities such as Castels, Branforcas and Manosquin.
It has a distinctly Old World bouquet of sandalwood and underbrush and a complex palate of mushrooms, wild garrigue berries and herbs. It will keep well for at least a decade and twice that in favourable vintages.