Abbaye Sylva Plana

Winery

The 45 hectares (108 acres) ABBAYE SYLVA PLANA vineyard is located around the monastic barn of Sauvanes in Laurens, which forms part of SYLVANES ABBEY (Aveyron), founded in 1139. Until the 12th Century, the monks used the same wine growing methods used by Romans settlers for the first five centuries AD. In 1998, Nicolas and Henry Ferdinand Bouchard from Domaine Deshenrys decided to create a partnership and long term investment with the Guy family, whose ancestors had settled in Laurens generations ago.

The vines are beautifully located to face directly south in contoured lines, and are planted on clay-chalky, clayey-limestone, grey marble but mainly on the local schisteous soils, making for all the typicity of the Faugères wines. Schist is a silicate rock rich in aluminum and iron, showing amazing color from blue to red ferrous, brown, green and beige! It is excellent at retaining water (up to 40% up to its volume) and storing heat (almost twice as well as chalk), which then radiates slowly throughout the night after the extremely hot days, creating a perfect climate for optimum maturity! Here at ABBAYE SYLVA PLANA, the 15 to 60 years old vines are rigorously cultivated: Ploughing and ancestral culture, conversion to Organically grown grapes (to be certified in 2009), natural low yields coming from the poor soils and short pruning. Grapes are then hand harvested for all the Cuvees followed by an additional hand selective picking of the grapes and berries once at the cellar!

ABBAYE SYLVA PLANA produces several Cuvées, all expressing the Faugères complexity. There is perfect balance between the fresh juicy Les Novices and the bigger velvety Songe de l’Abbe, and La Closeraie is the best seller of the estate. Much appreciated for the fineness of its complex aromas, its richness and density, La Closeraie has southern accents, balanced by a tonic minerality.


Visit the winery at www.promexwines.com

Wines

Faugeres Rouge La Closerie, 2009

Very first and “original” Cuvée of the Abbaye, La Closeraie fully reveals Grenache with a highly Faugères aromatic expression. As a distinctive signature of Sylva Plana wines, it is impressively ripe and dense, showing cherries and blackberries flavors, ending on soft and silky tasty tannins, with just a hint of elegant oak.

Heady but juicy Grenache dominates the blend of this wine, which also includes 30%, Cinsault, 15% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre. Concentrated deep fruit aromas of plum, blackberry and muddled boysenberry flood the nose, while a streak of minerality and moderate acidity keep things vibrant in the medium- weight mouth with a velour-like texture. Licorice and sweet spice stay well into the close.
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast, November 2011

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