Product Review
Aged in 100% new oak, and bottled with neither fining nor filtering, the 1998 Coteaux d'Aix Domaine des Beates Terra d'Or is an astonishing effort. Opaque purple-colored, with an explosive nose of blackberry liqueur intermixed with minerals, flowers, and toast, this massive, concentrated effort fills the mouth with layers of ripe black fruits infused with smoke, minerals, and toast. As the wine sits in the glass, notes of licorice also emerge. A wine of exceptional concentration, purity, and equilibrium, the 1998 Terra d'Or will be at its best between 2003-2020.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most prominent dark-skinned grape varieties except Merlot in terms of area under vines, but which comprises our largest selection of wines. Grown in just about every wine producing region and climate, Cabernet Sauvignon can express a huge range of aromas, from green peppers in cool climates through to dark jammy fruit in hot regions. Common aromas include blackcurrants, mint, graphite, and forest floor, to name a few. Maturation in small oak barrels can develop a complex range of aromas from cedar wood, cigar box and tobacco to eucalyptus and undergrowth. Cabernet Sauvignon’s success is partly due to its ability to adapt to a range of soils and climates. It is the main constituent of the Bordeaux blend in the revered communes of Pauillac, St. Estephe and St. Julien, and has achieved equal success in California’s Napa Valley. It is grown extensively throughout Southern Australia, with some outstanding examples from the Terra Rossa soil of Coonawarra. Cabernet Sauvignon also plays an increasing role in Tuscany, Italy, where it is blended with native varieties such as Sangiovese to produce the Super Tuscans.
Provence is a sun soaked region in the southeastern corner of France that stretches from the Mediterranean coastline to the southern end of the Rhone valley and across to the border with Italy. The largest area is the Cotes du Provence, where roughly 80% of all wines produced are dry rose, predominantly made from Cinsault and Grenache. A few serious wine producers are replanting vineyards with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon in place of the ubiquitous Cinsault. Meanwhile the very small amount of white produced is made from Ugni Blanc and Clairette.
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Red wine is wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties. The color of red differs based on the grapes variety or varieties used.Interestingly, black grapes yield a juice that is greenish-white. The actual red color comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) from the skin of the grape (exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice). Most of the production centers around the extraction of color and flavor from the grape skin.
