Chateau de la Negly Coteaux Du Languedoc La Clape L'Ancely 2017
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Intense ruby red color. The nose combines aromas of kirsch, mocha, cocoa and sweet spices. The wine is rich and dense on the palate with silky tannins. It reveals notes of ripe fruit and a roasted finish.
A powerful and elegant wine. Ideal with spit-roasted suckling pig.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 La Clape L'Ancely is a stunning example of Mourvèdre's potential in the La Clape appellation. It's a very different expression from, say, Bandol, but more seductive and tender in the hands of this estate. Raspberries and cherries abound, and while there's a hint of the variety's so-called tree-bark character, there's also subtle spice and brine elements that give the wine a savory edge. It's medium to full-bodied, richly textural and plush, accessible now but sure to age well for at least 5-6 years—and possibly considerably longer, given Mourvèdre's resistance to oxidation. This is fast becoming my personal favorite of the Negly lineup.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The Mourvèdre-dominated 2017 l’Ancely is a rockingly good wine, and there aren’t many better Mourvèdre out there. Lots of blueberry and wild strawberry fruits as well as notes of spiced meats, herbes de Provence, and peppery garrigue notes all soar from the glass of this full-bodied red. Offering a layered, seamless texture, good acidity, and enough structure to warrant 2-4 years of bottle age, it’s going to have 15+ years of prime drinking from cold cellars.
Rating: 96+ -
James Suckling
A fresh, vivid red from this region with dried-strawberry character, together with other berries, flowers and fresh nuts. Medium body. Fine tannins on the finish. Serious, balanced red.
Other Vintages
2016-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
Records show that this property existed as far back as 178AD under the name Nerly. The Chateau was built in the 18th century and was originally named d'Anceley; in 1807 the name changed to Negly. Many families have owned this historic estate over the centuries but it wasn't until the arrival of Jean Paux-Rosset, who purchased Negly in 1992, that the wines produced from these old traditional vineyards began their elevation to premier level status.
Today, wines from Chateau de la Negly are held as benchmarks of the Languedoc's potential, achieved through a series of replanting of vineyards, more organic farming practices and a strict attention to cleanliness and quality control. Every bunch of grapes is handpicked and placed into small 8kg crates. If they are de-stemmed, as they are for all the top wines, the grapes travel slowly along a conveyor table where 12 people remove everything but the perfectly ripe and intact berries. Whites are allowed to chill in a cold room for up to 4 days before pressing. The three flagship wines from this Estate (L'Anceley, Port du Ciel and Clos des Truffiers) are parcel selections of very old Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache that yield tiny harvests of around 10-15 hL/ha.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Essentially a mountain on France’s Mediterranean coast, La Clape's vineyards vary in elevation by as much as nearly 1,000 feet. This tiny region also boasts some of France’s highest total hours of sunshine and produces aromatic whites from the Bourboulenc variety as well as full-bodied red blends from the usual Rhône suspects.