A Taste of Liberty
A TASTE OF LIBERTY
As Nottingham joins other areas of the United Kingdom, under the tight restrictions of Covid’s tier 3 and we face loosing that sense of freedom for the next few weeks at least, here is a Liberty that you are thankfully still able to enjoy!
Produced by one of the relatively ‘new’ stars of Chateauneuf du Pape, Julien Barrot crafts this wine with his great friend and fellow, bon vivant, Yannick Alliaud. Indeed the two have shared the same passion for great food and fine wine for over twenty years. Inspired by this and their equal fascination with terroir, the friends came together to fulfil Yannick’s long held dream, to create his own unique blend, in order to maximise the potential of the vines he so devotedly tends. Situated close to the less famous, but undisputedly beautiful location of Chateauneuf de Gadagne, the soils of Yannick’s vineyards, comprise a mix of sand with red and blue clay, scattered with pudding stones from the river bed, and are akin to the prestigious plateau, Le Crau, of Chateauneuf du Pape itself.
Free from the constraints of AC regulations, the duo followed their instinct and intuition, to select specific varieties from particular plots, to craft a wine which oozes class and refinement whilst retaining its own spirit and individuality.
From a blend of 55% Grenache, 18% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre, plus Cinsault and Carignan, this is no ordinary ‘Vin de France’, but possesses a quality and style that would eclipse many offerings from Chateauneuf du Pape itself.
The 2016 is just the second release of ‘Liberty’, but it stormed straight into the charts with a score of ‘91’ from the Advocate and takes full advantage of the glorious attributes of this excellent vintage.
Portraying wonderful poise and refinement the wine offers an array of tantalising aromas and flavours, of red and black berry fruit, sweet violets and savoury herbs. Well structured, with clean, fine tannins, this little star has a truly wonderful focus and elegant balance. Delicious now, it really opens up in the glass and will undoubtedly mature beautifully for a further 5 to 10 years too. Perfect with a succulent steak, a tender joint of lamb, or a delicious partner to vegetarian moussaka.
2016 VdF Liberty, Domaine La Barroche Normal price £24.22 per bottle Special ‘Take a Liberty’ Promotion - £105.00 per Case x six bottles, including vat. (£17.50 per bottle including vat)