Fifteen years ago Jean-Baptiste Senat moved from Paris to Minervois in the Languedoc. He started with just a few hectares, now he has 15 hectares and is one of the most interesting producers in the region. He makes drinkable wines with a lot of character, wines that are very pleasant to drink young, although some of them can keep for ten years and more. His vineyards are beautifully situated close to the Montagne Noir. Old grenache and carignan grow here in a rather poor soil and surrounded by wild herbs like rosemary and thyme. The vines are worked organically and the esprit bio continues in the cellar where the wines are made as naturally as possible.
A new cuvée is Arbalète des Coquelicots 2010. A very attractive wine with structure and a certain minerality and a very generous fruit, un vin gourmand, as they say in French. But still a serious wine, although extremely drinkable. The grapes are 70 % Carignan och the rest is Grenache och Mourvèdre. Jean-Baptiste is very fond of carignan. He says it is not so aromatic but gives the wine a nice freshness. His most well known wine is La Nine and the vintage 2009 is a pure and elegant wine with a nice taste of black berries. Le Bois de Merveilles 2009 is well structured with some tannin and spices, a complex wine with a very nice balance. One suggestion is to drink it with your favourite cheese.
