Sunday, October 7, 2007

Clos del Rey & Mas del Rey

On the forum of La Passion du Vin, Jérôme Perez published his tasting notes on the wines of Jacques Montagné :"This dozen hectare (around 30 acres) winery located the town district of Maury.
Sandy soil and clayey limestone rich in iron at an altitude of 250/300 meters (820/984 feet).
Carignan, Grenache, Syrah for the Côtes du Roussillon Village (Clos) and Carignan for his Vin de Pays (Mas).
The wines are of a very high quality.

Clos del Rey 2004
An inky robe.
The nose is closed, locked shut and only opens after being opened for a few days. It then shows a harmonious pleasure: earthy notes/garrigue and dark fruit, a touch of animal.
The mouth is brutal when opened and evolves perfectly over the period (three days). It melts admirably and gives a great deal of power, while staying fresh. The tannins are still firm and need to soften, but they are in no way astringent. I predict this impressive wine will evolve beautifully!


Mas del Rey 2004
Along the same line as the previous wine, but with an easier initial approach.
I found the same frankness, the wild side, the power and balance. The aging is a bit more noticeable , but certainly not overwhelming, quite to the contrary.
The Body is marked, the structure is tight and the fruit attractive. The finish is long with strong tannins and a prefect maturity. Here the balance is also perfect.
This wine will give a different view to anyone who thinks that the wine from the South are tiring. Certainly powerful and robust but well balanced.
Jérôme Pérez"


The owners of these wines can be proud of the comments. It would be ideal if Jérome Perez visits Jacques Montagné to better understand what makes the character of his wines: Jacques charisma (and culture), the kindness of his wife and children, the incredible beauty of his terroirs (especially the ones in the Coume du Roy)… All of that explains the personality of his wines, its quality and defects, in other words far from formatted wines.
The 2002 are too much, 2003 average, 2004 and 2005 futures top level.

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