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What We Say 2004 Chusclan - Mélodie d'Amour
Awards and Accolades:
Jane Garvey – 91 points: Medium to full-bodied dry red wine, deep intense inky dark ruby red. Aromas of dark cherry and black raspberry, with almost kirsch-like (cherry brandy) flavors. The easy tannins make for a lovely texture, while the finish is full of juicy sweet fruit flavors.
Wine Advocate – 87 points: An excellent offering…an opulent, exuberant fruit bomb with excellent purity, low acidity, and copious quantities of black fruits.
Mission Codename: Song of Love
Operatives: Agent White & Agent Blush
Objective: Search the Côtes du Rhône Villages for the famed Love Melodie
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Target Winery: Château Signac
Wine Subject: 2004 Chusclan Mélodie d’Amour
Winemaker: Alain Dugas
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – A beautiful clear ruby red with lavender and pink hues along the rim. Long delicate legs when swirled.
Smell – Very well balanced fruit including tart cherries and ripe blackberries with an aromatic hint of star-gazer lilies.
Feel – Smooth and soft with a medium body. Mild tannins give this wine a hidden complexity that lingers.
Taste – A very nice taste of ripe fruit with a touch of spice and oak. The blend of the distinctive Grenache and Syrah give this wine a unique flavor that is well balanced.
Finish – Velvet smooth with a medium finish that tapers smoothly.
Conclusion – This is a lovely wine and is true to its name. Easy to drink, delicate, smooth, subtle and complex that will compliment a range of foods, yet can stand on its own.
Backgrounder:
Chusclan, a small appellation in the Côtes du Rhône area is the home of this Mélodie d’Amour, a delicious red blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% each of Carignan and Cinsault.
Winemaker, Alain Dugas, known for his meticulous approach to winemaking, is the genius behind this love melody. His approach includes a detailed analysis of each part of the vineyard prior to harvest to ensure each varietal is selected at its peak. This attention to detail continues throughout the process of each wine produced under his supervision.
While the Côtes du Rhône Villages refers generically to a handful of small appellations, this wine was born in the Chusclan area, most notably know for its fruity roses, this is a full bodied red.
The Cotes du Rhone-Villages Melodie d’Amour exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as wonderful sweet kirsch and black raspberry fruit notes, medium to full body, a velvety texture, and a lush, concentrated finish. A gorgeously made southern wine.
Mission Report:
Having heard about a unique wine with a siren song that seduces all who have tried it, headquarters was obviously concerned that a wine of such power could fall into the wrong hands. Agents White & Blush were immediately dispatched to investigate. You may ask, why Agent Red wasn’t sent on this important mission, however, it wasn’t too long ago he was sent on a ‘romantic’ mission where he was ‘compromised’ with Agent Sparkle. Details of this fiasco have since been redacted.
Upon arrival, our local contact, already touched by this wine lead White directly to the source. The Château Signac, situated on an ancient vineyard with exceptional Terroir that dates back to before time of the Romans. Château Signac intermittently produces the Mélodie d’Amour with great care as its seductive quality enchants all who have tasted it.
Agent Blush, with her cunning and wit was quick to get her hands on the culprit, bringing samples back to headquarters for full analysis – but only after enjoying a few bottles with Agent White (additional details pending). To date, the exact cause for this wines seductive song remains a mystery. A delicious mystery…
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Chusclan Village can be seen in this sattelite photo.
What the Winery Says
Château Signac
TOP SECRET SPECIAL
This wine is quite rare and unique – so be sure to get a few bottles if you are a fan of Côtes du Rhône wines.
About This Wine:
This red wine is 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Carignan, and 10% Cinsault to create a perfect blend of richness and elegance. The vineyard has clay sand and vines are 30 years old below Dent de Signac Hill, a rocky outcrop rising above the Cése river valley. The grapes were harvested by hand. The cellar is on two levels to use gravity to move juice. Fermentation was temperature controlled for 12 to 15 days.
Tasting Notes:
This ‘song of love’ exhibits a dense ruby color with purple tones. The nose is as wonderful as a sweet kirsch with black raspberry fruit notes. The wine is gorgeously made, medium to full-bodied with a velvety texture, and a lush, concentrated finish. Rich, ripe, round, and powerful, full-bodied, high-quality wine with the necessary structure for cellaring; there are licorice and mocha elements on the long, long finish.
Pair with rich pates and terrines, grilled bacon-wrapped poultry livers on rosemary skewers, roast duck, beef stroganoff with noodles, mushroom and pancetta ragout, root vegetable stew, grilled lamb steak, or filet mignon.
History of Château Signac:
History has left its seal on the exceptional site of Château Signac. Lands of passing peoples since antiquity, the Gard Terroirs, exposed to the harsh sunrays, have always grown vine. Renowned for centuries, the Signac vineyards have always given quality wines, with rigour and generosity.
The Amez-Droz family and their associates bought the estate in 1989. It covers 90 hectares (223 acres), of which 38 ha (94 acres) are vineyards. Since then, they have continuously sought to enhance the quality of their wines by improving the grape varieties, and by stringently controlling the yields and winemaking methods. This has enabled them to emphasize the distinctive character of this exceptional Terroir.
From famed winemaker Alain Dugas, the Chusclan – Mélodie d’Amour is the perfect blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 10 % Carignan from vines that are over 30 years old. Wine Advocate scores this wine with 87 points.
The Signac site dates back to 3000 years BC. The Roman tribe, Voltinis, settled there and began to plant vines on the plateau of Laudun-Orsan. The Romans continued planting the vines and until the revolution, the Benedictines took charge of the vineyards which stretch from Chusclan all the way to Signac. In the 18th century, the people of Chusclan were proud of the excellent wines they were producing and above all, wanted to protect their wines’ originality and value. Therefore, the people of Chusclan prohibited the entrance of grapes from other, less reputable areas. Thanks to these strict measures, the reputation of the vineyard has become well established since the 19th century. The area is known for the quality of its wine which is among the best products of the region and justifies its reputation within the industry.
The grapes picking is made by hand. The cellar is made by concrete vats on two level which permit to use gravitation. The wine is controlled by Thermo regulation. The wine making is traditional with a vatting of 12 to 15 days.
Technical Analysis:
Appellation: Chusclan, Côtes du Rhône Villages
Varietal Blend: 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% each of Carignan and Cinsault
Alcohol: 13.5%
Winery: Château Signac
Winemaker: Alain Dugas
Age of Vines: 30 years
Soil: Clay sand
Yield: 38 hl/ha
Bottles Produced: 40,000
Serve: Will improve through 2010 with proper storage.
