2019 LE BOUT DU MONDE L'Echappee Belle

Region: Roussillon < France

Grapes: Syrah, Carignan

Winemaker: Edouard Lafitte

After several years spent working at the famed natural wine estate
Estezargues, Edouard Lafitte set out on his own in 1995 to create Le
Bout du Monde in the up-and-coming natty wine hotspot centered around
the tiny village of la Tour de France (not to be confused with the
bicycle race, le Tour de France).  It's a super isolated spot, hence
the name “le bout du monde,” (the end of the world), with the
Pyrénées-Orientales mountain ranges in the backdrop of Edouard's
vines.  As one of the area's pioneers, Edouard farms 7.7 hectares of
vines with an utmost respect for nature, and carries the same ethos in
the cellar. Using carbonic maceration, he produces lively and
evocative bottlings that are genuine expressions of time and place.
While carbonic maceration is common now, and not always skillfully
employed, in the hands of the right winemaker it can yield a wine of
great finesse and terroir.

But in Edouard's hands, the carbo-macerated L'Echappee Belle, an
herby, balsamicky chillable syrah-based blend, is a thing of beauty.
Sour cherry and dark plum notes give the wine a richness that balances
out the peppery earthiness and electric acidity, creating a buzzy,
tongue-tingly “candied” fruit mouthfeel without any sweetness but with
a touch of tannic grip.   If you're still grilling this time of year,
here's a great BBQ wine, but it is also lovely with the meats and root
dishes we're craving in the fall.

SERVE SLIGHTLY CHILLED