Chateau Puech Haut

New Releases from Chateau Puech Haut

Let’s just get right to the point, Chateau Puech Haut is one of the greatest and most talked about estates in Southern France at the moment. Jeb Dunnuck of The Wine Advocate has this to say about this over-achieving producer: “Easily one of the top estates in the Languedoc (if not southern France), Chateau Puech Haut lies just outside the village of Saint-Drezery and is owned and run by Gerard Bru, with consulting help from Philippe Cambie. They produce a number of cuvees, with their entry level efforts representing superb values, and their top cuvees being able to stand toe to toe with the greatest wines in the world.” Kudos to the team at Puech Haut and kudos to Jeb Dunnuck for not mincing his words and calling this one exactly as we would. Let’s just say we’re a little smitten with these wines, and we’ve got small amounts of each to offer the wine loving folks of Asheville.

In 2000, Gerard Bru checked out. He sold his business and moved back to Saint-Drézéry, a small village 15 km northeast of Montpellier. He grew up here, spending much of his time hunting and working with his grandfather in the local vineyards. Despite his knowledge of the land, he faced an uphill battle because there wasn’t a single vine on the property until he planted one, convinced that the terroir, covered in olive trees and wild herbs, would be conducive to spectacular wines. We think his gamble paid off quite nicely for him, for us, and for you. These days, Bru and his team at Puech Haut (which means high hill) are putting out their best wines to date. We’ve got two of them to offer you:

1. 2012 Chateau Puech Haut Coteaux du Languedoc “Prestige” – This is the “entry level” wine of the estate and it’s a concrete vat fermented and aged cuvée of biodynamically farmed Grenache (55%) and Syrah (45%) from vineyards that Bru purchased a few years back. The old vines (40 to 75 years) are the star of the show hear, yielding a lush, full bodied, sexy red wine. “It is a disarmingly juicy, complex, full-bodied, dark ruby/purple-colored effort displaying a sweet kiss of lavender, acacia flowers, pepper, black raspberries and kirsch. Round, generous and medium to full-bodied with elegance as well as flavor authority, this pure, beautifully textured 2012 should continue to drink well for another 3-5 years.” Robert Parker – The Wine Advocate – 91 points

2. 2013 Chateau Puech Haut Coteaux du Languedoc “La Closerie du Pic” – This is a new wine from the estate, so there’s little information out there on it. I’m just going to let Mr. Dunnuck tell you the story: “Even better, and one of the best values I’ve tasted in a long, long time, the 2013 Coteaux du Languedoc La Closerie du Pic is a new cuvee that’s made for importer Eric Solomon. Coming all from the Pic Saint Loup region and a blend of equal parts Syrah and Grenache vinified all in concrete tank (the Syrah is then aged 12 months in new and one-year-old barrels), it offers extraordinary aromas of violets, spring flowers, creme de cassis and licorice in a full-bodied, voluptuous and massively textured package. While a big wine, it carries itself beautifully and has fantastic freshness, fine tannin and a seamless finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. Count me a fan, and at the price, it should not be missed!” 93-96 points