Bila-Haut by Michel Chapoutier Pays d'Oc Rose 2021
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Wilfred
Wong
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Winemaker Notes
Each of the varietals in the blend offers up their unique flavors to combine a refreshing and crisp wine with “high resolution” of flavors. The Cinsault gives the red fruits and gentle floral aromas. The Grenache supplies the crisp mineral flavors with a hint of citrus in the lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Bila-Haut by Michel Chapoutier Rosé is firm and well-built on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of earthy notes and ripe red fruit. Enjoy it with a savory fish stew. (Tasted: May 23, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
Other Vintages
2022-
Wilfred
Wong
Domaine Bila-Haut is owned by the well known Rhone Valley Oenologist, Michel Chapoutier. The name refers to an old farm villa which was built high into the mountain slopes , among some old vineyards. The Domaine comprises 75 hectares of land cultivated under bio-dynamic farming techniques and is characterized by steep pebbly slopes rising from almost 150 meters above sea level. The soil has 3 components…Schiste, Gneiss and Clay, and the Grape varieties are Grenache, Carignan, and of course Syrah. The cool winters and very hot summers combined with little rain, and the drying Mistral breeze during the growing season is perfection for these varietals…in some respects better than in the Rhone Valley. The Domaine is located in the commune of Latour-de-France…just about as close as you can be to Spain, but still be located in France, with a great deal of history related to the Nights Templar, and the Cathar movement, hence the T in the title of the Domaine shaped like the Nights Templar Cross.The wines exhibit the distinctive pepper and spice of Syrah, but are bigger and rounder in the mouth, with great complexity coming from the Carignan and Grenache. Here is A Rhone producer getting the best out of the Terroir in Lanquedoc… a superb combination! And one of the best Wine Makers in France.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Defined by the rugged eastern edge of the Pyrenees Mountains and near-constant sunshine, Roussillon is a region rich in Spanish history and influence. In fact, the Roussillon people mainly identify with being Catalan rather than French or Occitan.
Roussillon has been a culture of viticulture since the 7th century BC and not surprisingly, highly influenced by Spain in their winemaking techniques and wine styles. Furthermore, the arid, exposed, steep and uneven valleys of this so-called Pyrénées-Orientales zone, guarantee that grape yields are low and berries are small and concentrated. The region was quick to adopt a specific fortification process (locally called mutage), introduced by a Catalan physician in the 13th century. Seen as beneficial to the region’s whites, soon Roussillon also applied the process to the vinification of Grenache. Mutage involves fortifying the grape must (or must and skins together depending on desired effect) with a neutral grape spirit to arrest fermentation, resulting in a slightly sweet, high alcohol (15-18%), but still varietally expressive and aromatically complex wine called, vin doux naturel. Two clones of Muscat and Grenache of various colors are mainly responsible for the excellent vins doux naturels in the notable sub-appellations of Rivesaltes, Banyuls and Maury.
More recently modern winemaking techniques, coupled with a near perfect climate and optimal soils, altitudes and exposures have allowed Roussillon to quickly escalate the quality and popularity of its dry red wines as well, namely those of Maury, Cotes du Roussillon-Villages and Collioure.