2008 Le Clos des Fees, Cotes du Roussillon-Villages

The 2008 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Le Clos des Fees displays a subtle and alluring layering of distilled, freshly-ripe, and confitured black fruits, allied to a Chartreuse-like amalgam of floral and herbal essences. Rich yet juicy; polished and velvety yet bright, this finishes with superb concentration of dark berries, licorice, and herbal liqueur. Herve Bizeul lays considerable emphasis on textural finesse such as he believes the chalky soils around Vingrau particularly capable of delivering, and this wine seems to be an eloquent case in point. High alcohol serves for glyceral richness without engendering any significant heat. At least at this youthful stage, I find the present Clos des Fees more seductive and complex than the corresponding Petite Siberie bottling. I suspect that this cuvee will be worth following for at least a decade. Herve Bizeul - for more about whose ideals and perfectionism, consult my report in issue 183 - continues to supplement his by now iconic range of Clos des Fees wines with intriguing and serious experiments. (For an account of two more of Bizeul's wines from outside of the Clos des Fees portfolio, see under Domaine La Chique and Walden in this report. As Bizeul points out, he will be concurrently represented in the U.S. market by introductory level wines from three different vintages.) Importers include Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799; Simon N Cellars, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 977-4476; and M. S. Walker, Somerville, MA; tel. (617) 776-6700