Clos du Mont-Olivet Lirac Rouge 2024 CS20230713 and the long haul

and the long haul

Scuppoz is dialect

perfumed Pinots - true west Sonoma Coast in every way

lemon balm and santolina (a slightly bitter Mediterranean shrub in the chamomile family)

and the combination yields a complex and unique result

Clos du Mont-Olivet Lirac Rouge 2024 CS20230713 and the long haulLirac sits just across the Rhone from Chateauneuf du Pape same kinds of stones, same warm Mediterranean sun, a fraction of the fanfare. Clos du Mont Olivet, the Sabon family's storied Chateauneuf estate, treats their Lirac vines with the same care as the home vineyards: Grenache led blend with Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault, aged in old foudres to keep the focus on fruit and place rather than wood. The result is generous, peppery, garrigue scented