Clos Marie : Simon 2023

Tasting Notes and Serving Tips for the Simon 2023 Clos Marie

Tasting

Appearance
The colour reveals a fairly deep purple hue, highlighted by violet glints characteristic of its youth.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet is complex and intense. It exudes scents of wild blackberry and spice, harmoniously rounded out by subtle smoky notes and hints of cocoa powder.

Palate
On the palate, this red wine stands out for its power and remarkable balance. Its texture rests on delicate, velvety tannins that lend great elegance to the whole. A lovely mineral tension carries the tasting through to a persistent, refreshing finish.

Food and Wine Pairing

This cuvée pairs perfectly with rich, flavourful dishes such as meats in sauce, game or ox tongue. It is also a wonderful match for Mediterranean-inspired recipes, such as duck à l'orange, roasted duck breast or a generous eggplant gratin.

Serving and Cellaring

To reveal its full aromatic complexity, it is recommended to decant the Simon 2023 and open it around an hour before serving, at a temperature between 16 and 18°C. Boasting excellent ageing potential, this wine can be enjoyed until around 2035.

The Elegance and Depth of a Red Wine from Pic Saint-Loup

The Estate

Founded in 1995 by Françoise Julien and Christophe Peyrus, Clos Marie quickly established itself as a key reference in the Languedoc. Located in Lauret, the estate is built on family vines inherited from Françoise's grandmother. The current owners have chosen to practise demanding viticulture, certified organic and farmed biodynamically since the 2000s. Refusing standardisation, they craft authentic cuvées that reflect the richness of their terroir. The estate is now recognised for its ability to produce wines combining depth, freshness and great ageing potential.

The Vineyard

Set on the foothills of the Hortus mountain and the famous Pic Saint-Loup peak, the vineyard extends across semi-hillside plots at altitudes ranging from 150 to 350 metres. The vines grow on quaternary clay-limestone soils, made up of surface pebbles over marl subsoil. This terroir benefits from strong temperature swings between day and night, favouring optimal berry ripening. Vineyard management stands out for rare practices such as massal selection and complantation, combined with deliberately limited yields to ensure maximum concentration.

The Vintage

The year 2023 ranks among the estate's finest recent achievements. The climatic conditions of this vintage allowed for a perfect balance, placing it on par with the domaine's benchmark vintages such as 2011, 2015, 2020 and 2021.

Winemaking and Ageing

Following hand-picked harvesting, the berries undergo careful sorting in the cellar. Vinification of the Simon 2023 involves partial destemming, adjusted according to the characteristics of each grape variety. The process continues with an extended maceration punctuated by regular punching down to gently extract the wine's matter. Finally, ageing takes place in vat, without any fining, in order to preserve the purity of the fruit and the authentic expression of the terroir.

Grape Varieties

45% Grenache, 45% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre