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Indeed, all along the year, 2012 did not spare the Vignerons : even the savviest got confused, almost losing their points of references, while dealing with its tricks ! Heterogeneity in the vineyard would bear, right from the start, the mark of damage caused by winter frost. Sadly enough, very old Grenache and Syrah vines did not survive this frost. Loss of a precious heritage, impact on the yields of the upcoming harvest, Vignerons were already under pressure…
Conversely, the months of July and August were extremely hot, speeding up the maturing process, as a first step, but worsening water stress, in a second. Rarest reaction, the Vignerons came to bless the rains that fell beginning of September, as they profitably revived the phenolic ripening of the grapes. In the end, deciding the right moment to pick up grapes caused the serious Vignerons a real headache ! To the extent that the harvesting of the different cépages, in the different parcelles, followed a more than widely unusual order…
And now, for one more uncommon observation : opting for a later harvest was not necessarily the winning choice, in 2012 : the exception that
proves the rule !
Now, at this stage, as the Wines are nearing the end of the fermenting process,
they already impose their real potential : they are very, very, good… Thus, they lead us to admit that, from contrasts, Harmony can arise...
Gard, Vaison la Romaine, Séguret.
Type of soilRound pebbles, limestone-clay soils, low-register grounds.
AgeingIn stainless steel tank.
10°C
Do not decant.
13,5%
CépagesViognier : 50 % Grenache : 35 % Roussanne : 10 % Clairette : 5 %
Starting out, the 2012 Cotes du Rhone Les Becs Fins Blanc is a tank-aged blend of mostly Viognier, with small components of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette. White peach, flowers, honeycomb and good minerality all flow from this medium-bodied, fresh and juicy white. It’s a delicious quaffer geared for near-term drinking.
Wine Advocate
, 87/100
, 2013-12-01
Bright and fresh, with good delineation to the white peach, yellow apple, chamomile and melon rind notes. Delicious, offering a pure finish.
James Molesworth
Wine Spectator
, 90/100
, 2014-05-31
Bottled in July 2013. Southern Rhône fruit. Salty and quite rich on the palate. Much more excitement and grunt than the average white Côtes du Rhône. Already drinking well. Lively acidity but good charge of passion-fruit flavour underneath.
Jancis Robinson
, 16,5/100
, 2014-01-02
A little ordinary and smelling of the fermentation vat. For the money, I'd head straight for the red version. Dominated by the 20-year-old Viognier with the Clairette for acidity. Perfectly respectable and respectfully made but the most ordinary wine in the Tardieu Laurent range of 2013s I have tasted. Although I suspect it will last very much longer than its peers.
Jancis Robinson
, 15,5+/100
, 2014-10-06