WINES
Wines - Prizes and Distinctions - Prices
Our wine (last update december 2019)
We are currently selling our 2016 La Minerale and 2017 Bagnaloup, our 2017Saut du Diable, as well as the Cuvee Moderne 2016.
La Minerale, is a Syrah with a little Grenache, and has dominant aromatic notes of blackberry, blackcurrant, violet, tobacco, with white pepper in cooler years like 2004 and 2008. The Saut du Diable - called simply the Trois Terres before 2008 - is dominated by Grenache with a variable percentage of Syrah (less than 30%), and is characterised by cherry, spices and licorice. We now also have a second Grenache-Carignan blend, the soft but powerful Bagnaloup. Our Cuvee Moderne is 80% syrah, very fruity and velvety.
SYRAH
Our 2 Syrah-based wines, the Minerale (simply called Syrah until 2006) and the Cuvee Moderne, come from two different terroirs: from our vines in St Jean de la Blaquiere for the Minerale, and our vines in Cabrieres for the Cuvee Moderne.
La Minerale
Syrah 2005 : pure Syrah; 8 weeks skin contact, aged 12 months in 225 litre barrique. Tasting notes : red summer berries, tobacco and menthol. Decanting necessary, 8 hours in advance. 2005 was an ideal year, with moderate heat and well-timed rains.
La Minérale 2006 : pure Syrah; 4 weeks skin contact, aged 12 months in barrique. Tasting notes : blackberries, inky and blueberries, tight-woven tannins. Decanting necessary, 12 hours in advance. Difficult year with no rain between February and the end of August, and frequent oppressive heat.
La Minerale 2007 : 85% Syrah, 15% Grenache; 3 weeks skin contact, aged 6-8 months in barrique. Tasting notes : violets and blackcurrant, truffles and smokeyness. A wet spring year with early heat, relentless hot August winds.
La Minerale 2008: 85% Syrah, 15% Grenache, 3 weeks skin contact, 18 months’ aging in barriques. Tasting notes : blueberry, vanilla, white pepper and blackcurrant. Best left 2 to 3 years in bottle to develop. Another wet spring, exceptionally cool August, and harvest pushed back by 2 to 3 weeks.
La Minerale 2009: 70% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 2 weeks skin contact, 12 months' barrel. Tasting notes: licorice, tabacco, dark berry, eucalyptus. Dry and hot spring and summer, with early picking. To drink relatively soon.
La Minerale 2010: 70% Syrah, 30% Grenache: 10-day skin contact, 12 to 18 (Syrah) months' barrel ageing. A wet and cold May and June with hot and dry summer, late harvest. Tasting notes: blackberry, violets and black olives, lightly woody. Will evolve favourably over 5 to 8 years.
All our Minerales benefit from being opened prior to tasting
Cuvee Moderne
Cuvee Moderne 2012: 80% Syrah, 20% Grenache. 1 week skin contact, 12 months' barrel ageing.Very cold February, warm end of spring and good August rains. Tasting notes: fruity, blackcurrant, licorice. To drink now or over the next 5 years.
GRENACHE
Our Grenache blend, called "le Saut du Diable" as of 2008 (the local name of our main grenache vineyard in St Jean), is officially a Terrasses du Larzac wine as of 2010.
Grenache 2005 : pure Grenache; 3-4 weeks skin contact, aged 12 months in 450 litre barrels. Tasting notes: redcurrants, liquorice and fresh mentholated notes. Decant 3 hours ahead. 2005 was an ideal year, with moderate heat and well-timed rains.
Trois Terres 2006 : Grenache 80% Syrah 20%, 3-4 weeks maceration, aged 12 months in barrel. Tasting notes : blackberries and crème fraiche, young tannins. Decant 12 hours in advance. Difficult year with no rain between February and the end of August, and frequent oppressive heat.
Trois Terres 2007 : 75% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 2-3 weeks skin contact, aged 10 months in barrel, with the Syrah aged in tank. Tasting notes: floral, rasberries, pepper and spices. Decanting optional. A wet spring year with early heat, relentless hot August winds.
Saut du Diable 2008: 66% Grenache, 34% Syrah, 2 to 3 weeks skin contact, 14 months in barrels (grenache) and barriques (syrah). Tasting notes: blackberry, pepper and liquorice. A wine to keep at least 1 to 2 years to develop in bottle. Another wet spring, exceptionally cool August, and harvest pushed back by 2 to 3 weeks.
Saut du Diable 2009: 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 12 months in barrels and barriques. Tasting notes: blackberry, garrigue and berry compote. To drink now and in the next 5 years. A dry spring and hot and dry summer, with early harvest.
Saut du Diable 2010 (Terrasses du Larzac): 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 12 months in barrels and barriques. Tasting notes: cherry, blackberry and leather. To drink now and in the next 5 years. A wet and cold May and June and hot and dry summer, with late harvest.
Saut du Diable 2011 (Terrasses du Larzac): 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Carignan, 12 months in barrels. Tasting notes: blackcurrant, preserved orange peel, dark berries and licorice. To drink now and in the next 5 years. An early and gentle spring with good late spring rains, followed by a not-too-dry summer, early-ish harvest.
Saut du Diable 2012 (Terrasses du Larzac): 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Carignan, 12 months in barrels. Tasting notes: summer fruits, cherries and strawberries. Mild winter and early spring followed by very cold february, good summer rains allowing relatively late harvest.
Our Syrah.
Prizes and distinctions
Guide Hachette des Vins 2010, 2011, 2014 et 2016, 2017, 2020
Guide Hachette des Vins 2016: for the Saut du Diable 2012: "Des aromes de cassis en guise d'accueil, puis a l'aeration des notes de fruits rouges compotes, et d'epices douces. La bouche, soyeuse et gourmande offre le meme registre aromatique, s'adosse a des tanins tres enrobes et se voit vivifiee par une pointe de fraicheur. Un ensemble equilibre et appele a bien vieillir"
Decanter World Wine Awards 2011: Bronze Medal for the Saut du Diable 
2009: "Rich, sweet fruit with black pepper and herbal spice. Big, round, structured palate with cacao and mint notes".
Guide Hachette des Vins 2010 : for Trois Terres 2007, "Graeme Angus is an 
English ex haematologist who reconverted in 2004 to become a winemaker. A promising reconversion, as is witnessed by this Grenache (predominance) and Syrah of a dark red garnet colour, with a powerful nose of cherries and raspberries, of spices and aromatic plants. Rich and well-rounded tannins complement a full and balanced palate. Perfect for drinking with bucatini a l’amatriciana".
Gold Medal, International Wine Challenge 2009, London: Trois Terres 
2007, in the Languedoc Reds Category : For the first time, in 2009 we submitted one of our wines to a blind wine tasting, the renowned International Wine Challenge in London, and were flattered to win a Gold Medal for the 2007 Trois Terres Grenache/Syrah blend. The judges said : "This is a very exciting example of grenache from the Herault, with lots of raspberry, white pepper and spice flavours and elegant structure with floral but fine tannins".
Old Syrah Trunk.
Terre de Vins Magazine, Spring 2009 issue : Selected for “Découverte, nouvelle cuvées” section: “With its heady floral nose heavy with lily, blueberry and fresh bay, the first impression of this Vin de Pays d’Oc (9 Euros) is surprising. The spirit of voluptuousness is confirmed by a flamboyant palate of cherries, aromatic essences, fresh spices, Zan, a shisty minerality, and fine-woven tannins. Mixing Grenache from Cabrières and Syrah from Saint Jean de la Blaquière, Graeme Angus explores a little further the possibilities of the terroirs (principally schists) that he has chosen for his Octon-based domaine”.
Prices
Our aim has always been to make wines that are both delicious to drink and excellent value for money :
Cellar door prices: la Minerale and le Saut du Diable:12 Euros TTC,
le Bagnaloup 11 euros TTC, Cuvee Moderne 9 Euros
Retail and restaurant prices: please contact us