MONTAGNAC SYRAH ROSE 2010 / 2011

Description:
Wine Style:  Fruity Rose

Montagnac Syrah Rosé is made by a small co-operative, Les Vignobles Montagnac,  located between Beziers and Montpellier in the Languedoc Roussillon.  The co-operative dates back to the 1930s and the vineyards stretch from the banks of Thau Lagoon to the foothills of the mountains on the right bank of the River Hérault where the ancient river bed stones are similar to those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

This is a lovely Rosé, made from 100% Syrah (otherwise known as Shiraz).  The Syrah grape makes wines which are are often quite powerfully flavoured and full bodied with aromas of chocolate, violets, truffles, leather, coffee and black pepper.

There are many legends attached to the origins of Syrah  - it was once thought to have come from the Persian city of Shiraz and was brought to the Rhone by the Phocaeans when they founded their colony around Marseilles around 600BC.  However in 1999 the University of California, Davis and the Viticultural Research Station in Montpellier discovered that Syrah's true origin was from the Northern Rhone in France.

Syrah was once used as a blending component in Bordeaux wines in the 18th century. In those days clarets were less powerful than today, and Bordeaux châteaux would use Syrah from Hermitage in the Northern Rhone to improve their wines, especially in weaker vintages.

The Montagnac Syrah Rosé is a refreshingly crisp wine with the aromas of raspberries and violets and flavours of crushed ripe red fruits, notes of mint and chocolate. 

This is a versatile wine and can be paired with cheese dishes, poultry, pasta and seafood as well as spicier dishes such as Chinese or Thai cuisine.

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