My Wine of the Week: Chimère 2007

Tasted a few weeks ago at Ciak: Famille Fabre Corbières Boutenac Chimère 2007

This wine is a reminder that Languedoc can do some great wines with exceptional concentration and purity of flavours.

The fact that the wine is so good should not come as a surprise. The Fabre Family has been growing vines for 14 generations (!) making it one of the oldest estates in the Languedoc. Clemence who used to work in Hong Kong has come home to work with her father and continue the family tradition. She was in Hong Kong to present her wines. 

Thanks to its four châteaux, Famille Fabre can offer a broad range of wines: some refreshing whites, some floral and lively roses and some easy drinking reds. But it is the Chimère that really caught my attention.

Tasting Note: 

Deep colour: just by looking at it you know that you are going to get intensity. First on the nose with powerful aromas of black berries, spice and dried herbs, then on the palate as the wine delivers its personality: full bodied, smooth and concentrated. The carignan gives ripe black berry fruits flavours while the syrah gives spicy notes. A surprising hint of mandarin adds an extra dimension to the wine creating a perfect structure and balance. The long finish is smooth and velvety. Rich, concentrated, pure: this is my kind of wine.

Technical notes

• Carignan (40%), Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre
• Yield: 25 hl/ha (which explains the concentration)
• Organic
• 12 months in French oak (which gives the wine potential to age – 10 years at least)

Chimere 2007, Famille Fabre, Corbieres Boutenac AOC

Available in Hong Kong at Cuvées for 286 HKD