Francia – Mazet des Croses L’ange et l’Hic 2009

Domaine and vineyard

The Domaine Mazet des Croses has been created in 2005 by Nathalie Bruggey and Renaud Berthoud, a young couple fully convinced to product wine naturally.

Thus, before being a domaine, Mazet de Crozes is an extra-ordinary garden, populated of chariots, gas stations out of work, caravans, tents and barracks: in few words a crazy but nice bazar built up to host a small family and grown up with them and their dreams.

The domaine is extended over 8 hectares, only 5 of which are vined. The majority of the parcels are located all around the main house, on terraces exposed to south south-east, on a terroir mainly constituted of yellow and red marl. Another small parcel is just a few kilometers far from the house, of the side of a hill fully exposed to the south and on a terroir basically composed of clay.

The grape varieties here cultivated are those typical of this region: merlot, cabernet sauvignon and grenache.

In the vineyard everything is done manually, or with the support of horses for the toughest activities. No chemicals, no herbicides but only, if necessary, natural fertilizers such as fenugreek plus sulphur or copper.

And nature is also the only one in charge of the yields of each parcel and grape variety with ranges varying from 14 to 30 hl/hectares.

The wine

Mazet des Croses L’ange et  l’Hic 2009 is certainly the cuvée phare of the domaine. It is producted only in occasion of very good years and in very little quantities, average 2000 bottles.

Behind this bottle there is an as crazy as original idea: a vinification completely conducted in oak barrels.

It means that the best grapes of merlot and grenache (the balance changes every time) are hand harvested, then hand de-stemmed and then they say goodbye each other to meet again in two years.

Merlot grapes (yield of 14 hl/ha) spend 18 months in oak barrels followed by 6 months in tanks. Grenache grapes (yield of 25 hl/ha) spend 10 months in oak barrels followed by 14 months of tanks. In both cases, after 30 to 120 of maceration, grapes are pressured.

At the end of the 24th months the two wines are mixed, just before being bottled. They then age 12 months in bottle prior to release on the market.

The wine must be decanted 6 to 24 hours before tasting.

Tasting Note

Date	3 February 2016
Wine name	L’ANGE ET L’HIC	Vintage	2009
Nation	France	Region	Languedoc
AOC-DOC	//	Grape Varieties	75 % Merlot 25 % Grenache
Serving temperature	18° C	Alcohol	13,5
Price (in euro)	18	SO2 (in mg/l)	Nd

Visual Examination		Taste analysis
Limpidity	Limpid	Body	Full
Color	Deep ruby red	Balance	Balanced
Consistency	Quite consistent	Soft sensations	Warm, Quite Soft
Effervescence	//	Hard sensations	Quite Tannic
		Flavors intensity	Intense
Olfactory analysis		Flavours	Cherry, liquorice
Aroma intensity	Intense
Complexity	Quite Complex	Finish/Persistence	Quite Persistent
Quality	Fine	Overall evaluations
Aromas	Red fruits, liquorice, vanilla	Development	Ready/Young
		Harmony	Harmonious

Food pairing

The wine matches perfectly with red meat or cheese. But also on its own, for the pleasure of a unique tasting.

In the good or in the bad, this wine is unique. When I read his story and got aware of his production process, curiosity was too much. And I must admit that, just after opening the bottle, I took a sip!

But then I decided to be wise and wait for the suggested 24 hours to really taste it.

Once in the glass, the dominant note of this wine, in terms of aromas and flavors, is certainly the oak. But a gentle oak, that doesn’t cover all the other characteristics of the wine and leaves red fruits, vanilla and liquorice frees to inebriate the mouth and the nose. Maybe a little acidity that doesn’t affects the overall taste. And, more than others, a fantastic bitter-sweet back taste.

Not a cheap wine, but worth it.

Official website: www.mazetdescroses.fr