1997 Grange des Peres, VdP Herault Rouge, Languedoc 1x750ml

Vinous 89

Dark red-ruby. Smoky, truffley aroma of redcurrant, red cherry and tobacco; distinct note of fruit compote. Superripe and jammy in the mouth; quite fat for the vintage. Finishes with grainy tannins and a hint of acidity. "The mourvedre tasted like grenache in ’97," noted Vaille. I did not taste the ’99 cabernet so I can’t comment on the ’99 red. But the syrah I tasted was ripe-bordering-on-confectionery, and three lots of mourvedre showed super-sweetness of fruit and uncanny acidity. The richest lot, which probably will not be part of the ’99 assemblage, was harvested early, with an incredible 18.5% potential alcohol. It still carried 50 grams per liter of residual sugar in early May but came across as only moderately sweet due to its razor-sharp 10 grams per liter of acidity (expressed as tartaric). (Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, CA, and Daniel Johnnes/Jeroboam Wines, New York, NY) [Stephen Tanzer, 01/07/2000]