Chalk

Another random buy from a wine shop in Basel, although I'd already heard favourable things about this winery situated down near Perpignan.

Domaine Gauby, Les Calcinaires Rouge 2011, AOC Côtes du Roussillon-Villages
This is a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Carignan.

Opaque with a purple-hued edge. The smell of chalk, chalk and more chalk. Dry chalk like on a blackboard. Very serious and somewhat reticent at first. This needs plenty of air for some amount of time. As the wine opens up, it begins to show blackcurrant and plum. Very elegant indeed.

Very chalky again on the palate. Do you see a theme here? It is as if the grapes have literally sucked chalk out of the ground. This distinct mineral characteristic creates a certain austerity, which becomes less pronounced the longer the evening goes on. Black fruit eventually emerges from under the gleaming white layer of chalk. Very dry and pure. Medium body. Certainly, a wine that demands contemplation and time. Not easy to like at first sip, but ultimately quite wild and charming. This is Gauby's entry-level red. The much more expensive Muntada is their flagship wine.