Chateau des Adouzes Le Tigre Faugeres

Sometimes it really pays to know your schist when it comes to choosing good French wine. This beauty from Chateau des Adouzes is produced from vineyards in Faugères, a small appellation in the Languedoc region of southern France. Here, it’s all about the schist!

Schist is a rare infertile rock that drains water and makes roots go deep into the soil to find it, down to fractures in the bedrock. Schist also absorbs and stores heat during the day, slowly releasing it back at night, which all helps with ripe, healthy grapes full of flavour.

From 70 year old vines this is a blend of 35% Carignan, 35% Grenache noir and 30% Syrah. Think of it as beauty and the beast. The beast is the tiger on the label they chose to symbolise the wine (power and elegance) and the beauty, well, that’s in the glass.

A gorgeous French red blend with good scores from two of the world’s leading critics…

90/100 (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate)
“Gorgeous scents of garrigue, cherries and raspberries appear on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is supple and expansive, delivering waves of red fruit flavours accented by hints of thyme, rosemary and bay leaf.”

17/20 (Jancis Robinson)
“Dry, earthy and wonderfully peppery finish. Thoughtful, complex wine sitting on the more savoury side of the spectrum.”

The guys at Chateau des Adouzes reckon this is one to pair with roasted or grilled meats, barbecue or spaghetti bolognaise.