2012 Anne Gros & Jean Paul Tollot La Ciaude Minervois is sold out.

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The Queen of Vosne-Romanée

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  • 91 pts Wine Advocate
    91 pts RPWA
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2012 Anne Gros & Jean Paul Tollot La Ciaude Minervois 750 ml

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Shipping included on orders $150+.
  • Curated by unrivaled experts
  • Choose your delivery date
  • Temperature controlled shipping options
  • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

“One of the Most Respected Wine Producers”

Jancis Robinson MW calls Anne Gros “one of the most respected wine producers,” and the 2012 Anne Gros & Jean Paul Tollot Minervois “La Ciaude” makes it clear that her magic touch follows her far beyond her native Burgundy. This collaboration between Gros and Tollot shows the power and sun-drenched ripeness of Southern France, yet drinks with the finesse and grace you would expect from two of Burgundy’s finest winemakers. “La Ciaude” is drawn from 108 year old Carignan, with Syrah, and Grenache grown on a south-facing limestone and clay hillside. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate scored this 91 points, praising its “serious minerality to go with tangy black cherry, black fruits, leather and violet aromas and flavors.” Predicted by the Advocate to have “a decade of longevity” in it, this “energetic and elegant” red is drinking beautifully after a few years in the bottle.

The windswept slopes of Languedoc have long given birth to some of the richest and most powerfully structured red wine bargains in the world. Anne Gros became captivated by snow-white limestone-chalk soils in the shadow of the Montagne Noire mountains—in particular, a walled plot of extraordinary, century-old Carignan vines.

The altitude—at 722 feet, near Languedoc’s ceiling—was familiar to Gros. It is the same elevation as Vosne-Romanée, the jewel of Cote d’Or, where Gros has been cultivating five inherited acres of vines since the age of 22. She would go on to fame for Grand Cru releases that Vinous’s Stephen Tanzer called “sensational,” racking up high scores and critical acclaim.

But France’s Midi and those high-altitude hills in Cazelles never stopped calling to her. Undaunted by the five-hour drive back to Vosne-Romanée, Gros and Jean Paul Tollot (of Domaine Tollot-Beaut) created an estate in that spectacular and rugged southern terroir, where the fruit receives plenty of sunshine—“La Ciaude” translates as “sun” in the local dialect—and the elevation promotes slow and even ripening. The cool, high-altitude nights allows the grapes to maintain their vibrant natural acidity, which manifests wines of striking freshness.

This is a fine expression of the Carignan: a tribute to the low-yield elegance of vines planted 108 years ago, which is lent suavity and power by quarter-century-old Syrah, and finesse and florality from Grenache. This effort from Gros shows why Jancis Robinson considers her one of the world’s most respected wine producers, whether in her native Burgundy or far afield.