2012 Domaine Anne Gros & Jean-Paul Tollot La 50/50

A tank-aged blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan, the 2012 Minervois 50 / 50 is outstanding with its beautiful dark fruits, crushed rock, earth and underbrush-styled aromatics. Medium-bodied, elegant and with a superbly layered, rich mid-palate, it will benefit from another year in bottle and drink nicely for 3-5 years after that. Vosne-Romanee-based Anne Gros and partner Jean-Paul Tollot (of Domaine Tollot-Beaut) fashion serious, structured and age-worthy efforts from their estate located in the northern part of the Minervois. I spent the better part of an afternoon with Anne, touring all of her vineyards, and the terroir here is spectacular, with diverse soil and exposure between each of the sites. The wines have vibrant, if not crunchy, acidity, good concentration and beautifully made profiles that will benefit from short-term cellaring. While I hate to use the term Burgundian here, these efforts certainly have a tension and energetic feel (while not lacking fruit) that’s unique to the region. Importers include United Estates Wine Imports (Connie and Patrick Allen Selections), Worthington, OH; tel. (614) 543-1427; and North Berkeley Wine Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (800) 266-6585