The
wines of Robert
Creus, Terre Inconnue, Languedoc, France
Domaine Terre
Inconnue, 99 Rue Emilie Gaston, 13980 Alliens, tel. 04 90 57 38 54
Robert Creus is a part timer. Before he developed his
passion for wine, he was a research chemist, working on silicon. Then
he quite literally became a rocket scientist. Currently he’s working
for the chamber of commerce and industry, helping to bring foreign
industrial firms to France, but I suspect his real passion is for the
remarkable wines that he’s fashioning in the Languedoc.
Terre Inconnue began life in 1996, when he bought his
first vineyard, an 2000 metre square plot of old vine Carignan.
Shortly after, he obtained some old vine Grenache. The first harvest
was 1997, and since then he has added more Grenache and some Syrah
(first harvest 2000). The Syrah is an old variant called ‘Serine’,
some of which is found in Hermitage and St Joseph. Next year, he will
make a new cuvée, called Guilhem. He’s also buying some
Tempranillo, from a vineyard near to them.
Creus isn’t a shy, retiring sort, ‘My wines have a
lot of personality because I have a lot of personality, he says. He
prefers to work as naturally as possible, using only a little sulphur
dioxide. He’s looking for phenolic maturity in his grapes and
harvests by taste, when the seeds taste of nuts, and not by sugar
levels.
Of grape varieties, he says Carignan is very difficult,
arriving at maturity quite late. Syrah, in contrast, is easy, giving
something good every year. Grenache is also capricious, but Carignan
is the worst. Of vintages, 2004 was the best he has every done. The
summer wasn’t too got and September was beautiful, helping to
produce good maturity with good acidity.
These wines are unusual. I think they are prodound, but
they are so individual they are hard to assess. Léonie is the
Carignan, Sylvie is the Syrah and Abuelos is the Grenache.
Terre Inconnue Léonie 2002
This is a Carignan harvested after the rain which blighted the
2002 vintage here. Refined, spicy nose is smooth with sweet, supple
yet savoury fruit. The palate is chunky and spicy with lovely supple
fruit, a thick, lush texture and a savoury spiciness to the finish.
Quite structured, but soft and fruity too. Very unusual. Very good+
89/100
Terre Inconnue Léonie 2001
Much darker coloured. Smooth, supple, porty nose with a lovely
savoury, spicy edge and some dustiness. The palate is rich and spicy
with an appealing richness of smooth, elegant fruit. Thick and spicy
with amazing personality. Very good/excellent 91/100
Terre Inconnue Los Abuelos 2002
Open, sweet, smooth nose with notes of herb and tea; some ripe red
fruits too. The palate is supple and rich with lovely elegance and a
peppery spicy structure. Very smooth with fine tannins. Nice balance
with everything working together. Some garrigue notes. Very
good/excellent 93/100
Terre Inconnue Los Abuelos 2001
Ripe, sweet open nose showing herby, peppery, raspberry fruit and
some minerality. The palate is open and quite sweet with supple fruit.
Rich and rounded, I like this a great deal. Very good/excellent 93/100
Terre Inconnue Sylvie 2001
Deep red/black colour. Lovely rich, liquoricey, spicy nose with
supple rich fruit and a spicy edge. The palate is concentrated, dense,
rich and sweetly fruited with lots of smooth tannic structure. Rich
and full – a remarkable wine. Excellent 95/100
wines
available in UK from:
Grand Cru Wines, 1100-5 Avenue des Alpilles
, 13310 Saint Martin de Crau, France
Email : gcw@wanadoo.fr
Website: www.grandcruwinesltd.net
Fax : (0033) 490 47 1321
Telephone : (0033) 490 47 2906 see
also: Langudeoc Roussillon versus
France's finest
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