Domaine Catherine le Goeuil
Catherine le Goeuil is a thoughtful, passionate winemaker who tends her vines organically and makes her wines with care and precision. Her vineyards are quite close to the village of Cairanne on the rolling plains that lie between the Rhone river and the jagged Dentelles de Montmirail mountains.
Cairanne is one of the special villages that can be named on the label of Cotes du Rhone wines due to the quality of the wine produced here. Therefore instead of this being a 'Cotes du Rhone' wine it is a 'Cairanne Cotes du Rhone Villages' wine.
She produces just one red wine under this label. This vintage it is Cuvée Léa Felsch.
We first tried Catherine's wines at a charming wine bar in Paris called Les Pipos. This is a true haunt of locals where most customers are addressed by name. We tried one of her elegant Cairanne reds with some rustic goose rillettes and the combination was magic. So magic, in fact, that we immediately e-mailed her to see if she would consider exporting her wines to Australia!
Domaine Catherine le Goeuil Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne Cuvee Lea Felsch 2007
This is an elegant wine made from a range of the allowable red grapes of the
region. This cuvee includes Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault and
Counoise - a very similar combination to those of the nearby Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
In the glass this wine shows purple tints and has toasty, ripe fruit aromas. The tannins are quite fine and there are spicy notes detectable at the back of the palate. We love the long, lingering finish.
Here is a comment about the Cuvee Lea Felsch from the famous Kermit Lynch newsletter (August 2009 edition) from the United States:
"At our tasting it blew us away. Some of you might appreciate knowing that if Châteauneuf-du-Pape has gotten too expensive for you, here, try this close relative.
Nose ripe and decadent; wild thyme, stones, and loads of Grenache fruit; chewy, concentrated, great tannins, palate-staining sensations, and just a whole lot of rock ’n’ roll going on. There is also a rare quality that I’d like to see in more wines, something luxurious in the feel of it on the palate."
Drink it with any meat dish such as lamb chops, roast lamb or any type of steak.
This wine represents amazing value for money at this price!
RRP: $25
Certified organic by Ecocert