2011 La Violette

The late Madame Pere-Verge owned this little jewel of a property. The stunning 2011 exhibits a beautiful deep ruby/purple color as well as lots of floral notes, and a broad textured opulence that is atypical for the vintage. Fruity and rich, this successful, medium to full-bodied 2011 does not quite match the quality of the 2008, 2009 or 2010, but it is another brilliant effort from La Violette. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

100% Merlot. Destemmed by hand and fermented, after cold maceration, in 100% new oak barrels. Sweet and chocolatey. Much more savoury and dense than Le Gay. Richer but less giving and needs more time. Tannins are dense but very polished. Long and rich. (JH)

A wine with a mineral and violet character that I like. The palate is medium to full body, with silky tannins and a hazelnut, berry and chocolate aftertaste. A little hollow but I am interested to see on this develops. jamessuckling.com