Leon Stolarski Fine Wines Chateau d'Estoublon

As a merchant specialising in the wines of southern France, I tend to get numerous emails every week from some or other grower or their agent, looking to gain a foothold in the UK wine market. Time (or a distinct lack of it) dictates that I reply to only a small percentage of these emails – usually dependent on whether I am one of hundreds of recipients of a bulk email, or the target of an altogether more selective campaign. And although the majority of the growers on our current list are there because I found them, a few are there because they found me.

One such grower is Chateau d’Estoublon, a long-established estate, situated on the southern slopes of the Alpilles, which was purchased in 1999 by the Schneider family (of Breitling watches fame). The family immediately set about restoring the imposing 18th Century Chateau and the surrounding vineyards and olive groves, whilst their young winemaker Remy Reboul (under the tutelage of the legendary Eloi Durrbach of Domaine de Trévallon) set about making the wines. Some replanting was also carried out – mature Grenache and Syrah vines were already there, together with Grenache Blanc for the white wine. But unfashionable workhorse varieties such as Counoise, Cinsault and Ugni Blanc were replaced with more noble varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Marsanne and Roussanne, which came into production with the 2002 vintage.

The red wines are based on Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, with the main Chateau red also containing 20% Cabernet Sauvignon (the maximum permitted for the Les Baux de Provence appellation). Despite the Cabernet in the blend, these reds are stylistically quite similar to Chateauneuf-du-Pape – and bloody good Chateauneuf, at that! Just one white is made, being a blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. Because Marsanne and Roussanne are not permitted varieties for the AOC, this wine bears the label "Vin de Pays des Alpilles". But make no mistake, this is brilliant stuff, which stands comparison with the (far more expensive) Trévallon white wine – and indeed, many a top white Chateauneuf or even Hermitage. The wines are certified organic (Ecocert).

Chateau d'Estoublon Jeunes Vignes 2003 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon Jeune Vignes 2003 table

Vintage	2003
Region	Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged 1 year in large oak barrels.
Grapes	A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.6%
Food	Roast or grilled red meats, sautéed vegetables, pasta
Next day	Still very good
Drink	Excellent now, but will age for another 5+ years
Dark ruby/purple with a bricking rim. A nose of raspberry, cherry and bramble with a touch of volatile acidity giving extra lift. With a lovely mix of ripe berries, fresh bread and spangles on the palate, this is mouth-filling without being too rich, and warming without being alcoholic. This wine is certainly atypical for a 2003 from this region - and all the better for it. An unusual and lovely wine. Certified organic.

Price: £15.99 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

Quantity:

Chateau d'Estoublon Jeunes Vignes 2005 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon Jeune Vignes 2005 table

Vintage	2005
Region	Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged 1 year in large oak barrels.
Grapes	A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.6%
Food	Roast or grilled red meats, sautéed vegetables, pasta
Next day	Still very good
Drink	Excellent now, but will age for another 5+ years
A bright, transluscent ruby/raspberry colour, fading gently to a pale raspberry rim - the result of what I assume to be quite a lengthy period of ageing before bottling. The nose offers aromas of the warm south - spiced red and black fruits, polished wood, undergrowth, garrigue herbs and a hint of garam masala. Give it a good swirl and you might even detect a hint of ripe peaches - for a "jeunes vignes" (from young vines) this offers surprising complexity. The palate is rich and concentrated, with a huge core of ripe fruit, but never blowsy or overpowering. There is a cherry skin element to it, which gives it lift, with a decent level of acidity and fine tannins adding grip and definition. As with all the Estoublon reds, it manages to combine rich, ripe flavours with juicy/tangy acidity and spicy warmth, without ever suggesting heat. If I were tasting this blind, I might think I was drinking an unusually subtle (and really very good) Gigondas.

Price: £15.99 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

Quantity:

Chateau d'Estoublon 2005 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon 2005 table

Vintage	2005
Region	Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged 18 months in large oak barrels.
Grapes	Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Mourvedre
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.8%
Food	Venison and other game, beef, mushroom risotto
Next day	Still excellent
Drink	Can be drunk now, but will age for 5 to 10 years
Dark ruby/purple. The nose hints at classy, complex red and black fruits and a touch of spice. The palate is rich and mouth-filling with fresh bramble, blackcurrant and cherry flavours complimented by a hint of dark chocolate, and all held together with soft tannins and a hint of stalkiness adding extra interest and complexity. This is a very classy, serious wine, with a great future ahead of it. And despite the inclusion of the permitted 20% of Cabernet Sauvignon, it bears more than a little similarity to a really top-notch Chateauneuf du Pape - but without the price tag to match! Certified organic.

Price: £18.49 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Chateau d'Estoublon 2006 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon 2006 table

Vintage	2006
Region	Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged 18 months in large oak barrels.
Grapes	Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Mourvedre
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.6%
Food	Venison and other game, beef, mushroom risotto
Next day	Still excellent
Drink	Wonderful already, but will age for 5 to 10 years+
Medium-to-dark, semi-transluscent ruby red core, fading to a wide raspberry-tinged rim - it really is a joy to look at. The nose has compex aromas of red and black berries and currants, red meat, polished leather and exotic mixed spices. The palate is simply gorgeous, with wave after wave of fresh red and black fruit flavours, with all manner of spice and herb nuances. It has just a touch of meatiness to it, courtesy of the Grenache and Mourvedre, but the Syrah and Cabernet contribute enormously to the structure, making for a truly multi-dimensional wine. It has fruit, spice, acidity and tannin, all in perfect harmony - which makes it so lovely to drink now, it is almost too much to resist. Having said that, it certainly has all the ingredients necessary to age gracefully for a good 5 to 10 years. What can I say? I am utterly bowled over. And if this is the future of Provençal winemaking, then I am very proud to play my part in bringing it to you. A simply wonderful wine.

Price: £18.49 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Chateau d'Estoublon Cuvée Mogador 2005 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon Cuvée Mogador 2005 table

Vintage	2005
Region	Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged 18 months in large oak barrels.
Grapes	35% Cabernet, 35% Syrah plus Grenache and Mourvedre
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.8%
Food	Venison and other game, beef, mushroom risotto
Next day	Fabulous!
Drink	Can be drunk now, but will age for another 10+ years
A medium blood red core, with a narrow-ish raspberry-coloured rim. The nose is so expressive, with all manner of red and black currant and berry aromas, complemented by notes of vanilla, mocha, polished leather and a lick of peppermint. Further notes of forest floor, spices and garrigue herbs all add to what is an extremely complex nose. The fruit on the palate is intense, but beautifully fresh. Although there is some oak influence, it is subtly done and doesn't dominate the fruit - very important, this - and merely serves to add another dimension to what is a hugely complex and multi-faceted wine. There are layers of juicy, tangy fruit flavours (mostly at the red end of the spectrum - redcurrant, cherry, raspberry, even cranberry), with abundant acidity and firm, but ultra-ripe tannins. The fact that the fruits tend towards red, rather than black, heightens the sense of supreme elegance. It is so packed with flavour, but one wouldn't describe it as a "rich" wine - at least not in a Provence or Southern Rhone sort of way - and it majors on fruit, rather than any savoury elements. I don't really like to pigeon-hole wines, or even compare them to wines from other regions. However, you wouldn't put it in Bordeaux and you probably wouldn't put it in Burgundy (although it possesses great elegance), but you might put it in the Rhone or even Tuscany. Or you might just say that it combines many of the best attributes of all of the above. Ultimately, though, I just have to take my hat off to it and say Wow! - so that is what Provence is really capable of! Simply a world-class wine. *Extremely limited quantity - limited to 1 bottle per customer.*

Price: £42.95 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2006 Vin de Pays des Alpilles
Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2006 table

Vintage	2006
Region	Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style	Dry white, full bodied. Aged in oak for 11 months
Grapes	Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.6%
Food	Smoked salmon, shellfish, chicken, cheese
Next day	Still excellent
Drink	Can be drunk now, but will age for 5 to 10 years
A deep gold colour with orange glints. The nose is a riot of apples and pears, oranges and exotic fruits, with notes of honeysuckle, clove and star anise - hugely complex and alluring. Made in a slightly nutty, oxidative style, yet with a lovely streak of freshness. Glycerous and mouth-filling, it has complex flavours of candied fruits and flowers, stewed apple, mandarin and spice and a long finish. A lovely wine, in the style of a white Hermitage or Trévallon. Expensive, but worth every penny. Organic.

Price: £20.50 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2007 Vin de Pays des Alpilles
Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2007 table

Vintage	2007
Region	Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style	Dry white, full bodied. Aged in oak for 11 months
Grapes	Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.6%
Food	Smoked salmon, shellfish, chicken, cheese
Next day	Still excellent
Drink	Can be drunk now, but will age for 5 to 10 years
The colour is a bright yellow gold. The nose is uber complex - notes of quince, apricot, primrose, spices (fennel and clove spring to mind), with subtle hints of lemon, honey and clarified butter. The oak-ageing is subtle, too, with just a touch of vanillin. And the palate is as fresh as a daisy, with flavours of apricot and peach, quince and lemon zest. There is also honeyed, nutty richness that coats the mouth, whilst at the same time coming across as beautifully dry and focused. Restrained power is the order of the day - the sort that manifests itself in a long, mouth-watering finish. In fact, this is a wine that seems effortlessly to combine richness of flavour with supreme elegance. Which marks it out as a great wine, in my book. White Chateauneuf? White Hermitage? Even white Trévallon? This comes pretty close to them all - it is an absolute star of a wine, from an undoubted future star estate of Provençal winemaking. Buy it.

Price: £20.50 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

Quantity:

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Minimum order value, delivery charges and times

The minimum order value is £50 (plus the delivery charge). You may of course choose a mix of any wines in our range. Orders between £50 and £175: delivery charge is £6. Orders over £175: delivery is free! (If your order is over £175, please remember to change the delivery charge in checkout to £0.00). Please note: Delivery to non-mainland addresses (Scottish Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, etc.) is usually possible, but may not be on a next-working-day basis. It is also more expensive than delivery to mainland addresses, so will be charged at cost (for orders under £175) but with a small discount for orders over £175 - please call us for a quote.

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It is an offence to purchase or attempt to purchase alcohol if you are under the age of 18. (Section 149 Licensing Act 2003). We reserve the right to seek proof of age. Leon Stolarski says "drink less, but drink better!" Please consume alcohol in moderation.