Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Côtes Catalanes IGP
Nikolaus and Carolin Bantlin moved from Germany to the south of France with their young children having never envisioned themselves becoming winemakers. But when the seller of their new property included a clause that they had to take possession of the vineyard with the purchase of their home, they said why not and 23 years later they're producing some of the most amazing wines.
The name of the winery is a combo tribute to the original name of the vineyard and to The Doors and Jim Morrison. The vineyard, originally named "Domaines des Portes", made them think of The Doors (portes = doors in French) and brought them to the song Wild Child aka Enfants Sauvage.
Naming conventions aside, all vineyard work is biodynamic with the goal to produce natural and sincere wine without artifice. Nikolaus and Carolin see the relationship between grower and land as that of love and respect.
100% Carignan from 90 year old vineyards, this is exceptional stuff from these 2 talented vignerons. This wine opens with fresh cherry and blackberry before evolving into a stewed version of the fruits with spices mingling in the background, leading into a liquorice note and hints of game meat. While lively, there are certainly crunchy, notable tannins that indicate a pretty tempting aging potential of at least 8 years. All said, this is a true testament to the capabilities of Carignan as a monovarietal bottling of significant quality.
Drink with charcuterie or flame-grilled meats.