Boulevard Napoléon
Named after the street the winery is located on in the village of...
La Livinière, Minervois, Boulevard Napoléon is the partnership between restaurant owner Trevor Gulliver and winemaker Benjamin Darnault. Seeing the potential in the vineyards located by his holiday home, Trevor started making the wines and then showed them to his other partner, chef Fergus Henderson, who was more than impressed, as were we! Each wine is a classic expression of the varietal grown on the dry, stony slopes of the south of France - yet they retain a vibrancy and definition that marks them out from the crowd.
Vineyards
Fruit is sourced exclusively from a 75-year-old vineyard situated on stony terraces in the high hills of La Livinière, in the Minervois region. Here, soils are predominantly limestone and clay with the age of vines averaging 70 years. The wines show brightness, ripeness, definition and character - elements which can be largely attributed to these older vines.
Vintage Information
A very dry winter in the Minervois gave way to rain in the spring and into the summer. This redressed the water balance and avoided undue stress in the vineyards. Hot weather throughout July and August helped to ripen the fruit, although September was quite humid. The grapes were picked 11 days later than the previous year and delivered great balance.
Vinification
Grapes were all hand-picked into small cases before being sorted and destemmed. Fermentation took place in 2,600 litre stainless steel tanks, after which point the grapes underwent a period of gentle extraction followed by three weeks of maceration. The pressings were then separated from the free run juice. 20% of the finished wine was transferred into 225 litre one-year-old oak barrels, another 20% into 600 litre demi-muids and the remaining 60% into tanks for maturation.
Tasting Notes
This wine is a fantastic example of what an underrated variety Carignan is when planted in the correct spot and handled with care. It is deep ruby in colour, with ripe fruits and spicy notes on the nose. The palate is lifted with bright berries and is supple in texture and long and lingering on the finish.
Vintage Information
| Vintage | 2012 |
| Grape varieties | 100% Carignano/Carignan |
| Region | Minervois, Languedoc |
| Winemaker | Benjamin Darnault |
| Alcohol (ABV) | 14.5% |
| Acidity | 5.04g/l |
| Residual Sugar | 2g/l |
| Wine pH | 3.6 |
Trade customers
Liberty Wines customers can order this wine directly from us.