Minervois Pandora 2004

“The wines are created from the special alchemy which unites human hearts, the soil and the vines.”-- Marc Tempe
Tasting Note: Pandora 2004
A blend of Syrah and Grenache showing bright, ripe black raspberry and black cherry aromas. Extraordinary concentration of sweet fruit and polished texture on the palate. Riveting complexity from notes of licorice, black tea, chocolate, chalk and roasted meats. Talk about combining headturning, come-hither ripeness with head scratching intrigue.

Vintage: 2004
After the heat of 2003, July and August of 2004 were cooler than average and heavy rains fell in the region towards the end of August and beginning of September. As a result, many of those who failed to tend their vineyards properly saw the development of a fair amount of rot. A reprieve came in September, with a glorious Indian summer that helped accelerate the ripening of the grapes, Overall, 2004 was a cool year, producing balanced wines that will develop for many years.

Terroir: La Livinière - Minervois
The Minervois wine region is one of the largest of the Languedoc Roussillon in the south of France. La Livinière, lies in the heart of Minervois. Domaine de “The wines are created from the special alchemy which unites human hearts, the soil and the vines.” Marc Tempeourbissac lies between the foothills of the Cevennes and the Montagne Noire. This region is one of the sunniest in France and the precipitation is very low. The ripening of the grapes benefits from ideal climatic conditions, daily heat and coolness at night, induced by fresh air sweeping down from the mountain ridges.

Varieties: Mourvedre - Syrah - Grenache
Syrah (see-RAH) Is deeply colored and tannic with pepper, spice and leather characters. Syrah is particularly long lived and makes some of the very best wines in France and around the world. Grenache (gruh-NAHSH) is one of the most widely planted varieties around the world. It does best in hot dry climates producing wines that a fresh, fruity and round.

	Domaine de Courbissac Minervois Pandora	Premium Organic Wine $40 - $60	Premium Conventional Wine $40 - $60
Number of Bottles Produced	4,000	100,000	300,000
Total Sulfites (parts per million)	18 ppm	100 ppm	Up To 350 ppm
Yeast Selection	Native	Commercial	Commercial
Use of Synthetic Fertilizers	No	No	Yes
Use of Synthetic Herbicides, Fungicides and Pesticides	No	No	Yes
Use Of Additives and/or Adjustments in the Cellar	No	Yes*	Yes*
Use of Vineyard Irrigation	No	Yes	Yes
Ratio of Price to Quality	Good	Bad	Good

*Typical Cellar Additives and Adjustments may Include: Chaptalization (sugar), Tannin Powder, Oak Chips, Color Extracting Enzymes, Tartaric Acid, Reverse Osmosis, Micro Oxygenation, Fining Agents, Sulfites.