Château Simone Rouge 2020
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Château Simone Rouge - a rare unreconstructed historical gem of a wine. 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. It merits decanting, readily supports a decade's bottle-age, and will make a perfect foil to a garlic-studded gigot d'agneau or grilled rib of beef.
The celebrated Château Simone red wine is made from roughly equal parts of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault along with a smattering of lesser-known grapes such as Castet and Manosquin. It exudes Old World terroir and finesse and is not unlike a hybrid between a granitic Northern Rhône Syrah and a top classed-growth claret.
Plump tannins and a balanced acidity yield a red wine that improves considerably with bottle age. It is deliberately un-showy and takes 3 to 5 years to come into its stride but will cellar well for 20.
| Style | Red Wine, Sec, Full-bodied, Non Sparkling |
|---|---|
| Wine Region | Provence, Palette |
| Grape Variety (Cépage) | Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Other local varietals |
| Food & Wine Matching | Beef, Lamb, Mushrooms |
| Viticulture | Non-Organic |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| 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 (%) | 14 |
Château Simone
Château Simone is an ancient ecclesiastical estate overlooking the dramatic backdrop of Mont Saint-Victoire to the south-east of Aix-en-Provence. The main property dates back to the 16th Century and in total comprises 17 of the roughly 50 hectares of the appellation of Palette, which the Rougier family have tended for seven generations.
Château Simone benefits from very old vines and an unusual Northerly exposure and micro-climate (induced by the surrounding forests), ensuring late and even ripening that brings balance and finesse to the wines. The charming patron of Château Simone, Jean-Francois Rougier is assured and comfortable in his environment just as he is when he discusses his beloved wine and its idiosyncratic cépagement – 17 grape varieties are permitted in Palette giving it the broadest spectrum of grape varieties of any French appellation.
Winemaking at Château Simone has been honed over the centuries and it transcends fad and fashion, evoking a sense of tradition, confidence, respectability and dependable quality. Winston Churchill visited Château Simone and become an enthusiastic convert to its wine, which puts one in mind of his maxim: “My tastes are simple – I like to have the best.”
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