2005 Mas de Bagnols Côtes du Vivarais

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  8/5/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (MAS DE BAGNOLS Vivarais) Bagnols Dear Friends, This wine was one of the more eye-opening of my last trip to France and it has the sommelier circuit cheering for their success. Across the river from Tain and many miles southwest of Cornas lies a beautiful backwater hamlet in the Ardeche known as Vinezac. Barely 30kms from Chateauneuf-du-Rhone, this "middle of nowhere" is not not technically Northern Rhone and it is not really Southern Rhone - it is the Vivarais, one of France's last great unknown wine districts. To find a top example of Vivarais, you need to look at both North and South and look to a vintage that had outstanding, tannic success in both - enter 2005. When you combine a vintage like 2005 with the integrity of the Vivarais' finest vineyard, you have something of particular interest - especially to those that lean toward St. Joseph but yearn for just a touch more tannin and an even greater sense of mystery... Mas de Bagnols is the pride of Maria and Pierre Mollier and they produce some of France's most engaging, unknown Syrah. From soil that is poor at best (a very good thing), this east facing, nearly solid rock and limestone produces a fragrant Syrah that can smell like a top St. Joseph but drink more like a cross between perfumed Santenay and Cornas. The twist with great renditions of Vivarais comes with the addition of top quality Grenache (to add a floaty, aromatic element) and the Mollier's possess one of the finest parcels of Grenache in the entire Ardeche. Organically produced with only mules used to till, the 2005 Cotes du Vivarais is going to wake people up from their summer slumber. Raised in a combination of tank, cement and old barrels (from a very famous property in the Northern Rhone), those of you that chase Saumur but have an affinity for Gonon and Dard & Ribo may want to take a very close look at this. Bursting with sifted varietal fruit that recalls the South, the Northern palate presence takes over quickly and this wine remains light and esoteric, cool and high altitude in composition despite a massive, low-alcohol burst of pure, refined Syrah (and Grenache - around 20%). The beauty of the Vivarais and of Bagnols is the yin-yang that only this area seems to achieve. It is at elevation with a climate that suits the Rhone but it also has an element of the Loire with terrific acidity to match the depth of stone and dark berry fruit they achieve. With that said, this wine is quite hot right now - I'd like to say I discovered it with some glowing story of 6 ft Dutch woman and flat tires but I didn't. One of my sommelier friends in Lyon sent me a few bottles while I was in Paris with a hand-scribbled note that translates to something like "you snooze, you lose". In other words, I had to act quickly to secure the US allocation and I'm very glad I did. A winery to watch develop closely (even though they've been around for at least 30-40 years). VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a crazy value that yields intrigue and an educational peek into the unknown Vivarais. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance: 2005 Mas de Bagnols Cotes du Vivarais It will ship during the Fall shipping season. Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA SOFR8623