This is Château Lauriga's flagship wine, the large, thick, and full-bodied Grande Reserve Cuvée Jean. The wines and vineyards were cultivated by the French-Catalan Clar family. For years, the Clar family produced the finest wines in the Côtes du Roussillon wine region. Until, when there was no successor in the family, Jean-Claude Mas seized the opportunity to take over this beautiful winery. Besides his extensive wine knowledge, he also brought new insights to the winery. He invested heavily to elevate the wines to new heights. He more than succeeded, and with the arrival of this full-bodied red wine, Château Lauriga Grande Reserve Cuvée Jean, the circle is complete. It is a wine that can best be described as outstanding.
A full and ripe harvest aged in oak barrels
The vineyards for this Grande Reserve Cuvée Jean are Château Lauriga's oldest. These are the very best grapes, and this red wine is made from Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah grapes. The powerful soil structure, rich in clay, limestone, and gravel, lies in the Côtes des Catalanes wine region. After a long and balanced aging period, all the grapes are harvested by hand to ensure only the perfect bunches are used in this red wine. But before that, this Grande Reserve Cuvée Jean is aged for a full twelve months in oak barrels in Château Lauriga's cellars. A third, new barrel is even used, allowing the oak aging to be even more pronounced.
The best red wine from Chateau Lauriga
Upon opening the Grande Reserve Cuvée Jean bottle, we immediately smell a powerful burst of black fruit and light spices. In the glass, it gleams deep ruby red, and its robust structure reveals some of the flavor. Nosing the glass, we encounter an unparalleled beauty of ripe red fruit, with notes of vanilla and licorice. The palate is smooth, with ripe tannins that pamper the palate. Plenty of hints of black fruit, but also spices like garrigue, licorice, and vanilla. A wine to dream of, so beautiful!