Decant Stop Tasting Wine Blog

Deep rose in color and smells like a dusty cellar with tobacco and black licorice, and a little smoky.  Mouth-feel is fairly light with slight acidity and very slight ripe tannins.  The taste is well balanced with mostly red and some black fruit and a touch of black pepper (my favorite thing to find in a wine).  The long and pleasant after-taste is basically plum and black pepper, really nice.

I had the wine in my cellar for quite a while waiting for the right moment to open it.  My expectations were high and I was not disappointed.  This is a K&L exclusive, and they’re sold out, so good luck finding it.  I wish I could get my hands on another bottle… I’d love to see what it tastes like in another 5 years!

Rating:  91

Price:  $20

Jean-Louis Denois is considered by many as a maverick of the Languedoc. This passionate vigneron produces an impressive portfolio of wines from Limoux, considered one of the coolest regions in the Languedoc. The Denois philosophy is simple. To showcase Limoix as an island of freshness in the south of France. Finding the perfect balance between ripeness and acidity here is key, and Denois manages to maintain this across the board. The 2003 Chloé (80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc) is absolute C-L-A-S-S..in a bottle.. long, fine and immpeccably polished. Black cherry, cassis, and violet aromatics tease the nose with just the slightest hint of espresso nib suggesting greater things to come. Seductive black fruits caress the palate..pané velvet comes to mind. And if you think that this merlot is going to get all sloppy on you, then think again. The Chloé pulls back with just enough acidity to keep you thinking strait and appreciating the Chloe for exactly what it is. A wine of impeccable breeding and sophistication.