Carnet de Voyage 2021

3 stars and Coup de Cœur in the Guide Hachette des Vins 2024 (2021 vintage) · 92/100 Decanter (2023 vintage). All our awards

Carnet de Voyage is the prestige cuvée of Domaine de Cambis — an exceptional cellaring wine honoured with a Coup de Cœur in the Guide Hachette des Vins. It is an ode to discovery, an invitation to travel in a single sip of Syrah aged in demi-muid barrels on the schist terroirs of AOP Saint-Chinian Berlou.

To craft this cuvée, Martin Perolari, an independent winegrower (Vigneron Indépendant) in Berlou (Hérault), patiently selected the finest vines on the estate over several years. Unlike the other cuvées of Domaine de Cambis, Carnet de Voyage spends 12 months in demi-muids (600-litre barrels) of French oak, allowing a gradual oxygenation that gives it a complexity and depth that are rare among red wines of the Languedoc.

Terroir & Grape Variety

100% Syrah from single-plot selection, grown under certified Agriculture Biologique (certified organic farming) on the schist terroirs of the AOP Saint-Chinian Berlou appellation (Hérault). The naturally low yields (15-18 hl/ha) produce grapes with a concentration of tannins and aromas that makes barrel ageing not only possible but revealing. The schist terroir of Berlou, at 300m altitude, brings the freshness and minerality that give structure to this great cellaring wine.

Aromatic Profile

Nose

A deep purple colour with violet highlights. The nose is intense and complex: oriental spices (pepper, cinnamon), then roasted notes (coffee, cocoa) and candied black fruit. A nose that carries the signature of the great Syrahs on schist of the Languedoc.

Palate

The palate opens on a mellow, velvety attack — the 12 months in demi-muid have perfectly integrated the oak. Aromas of very ripe black fruit, bitter cocoa and sweet spices. Silky tannins, a long and persistent finish — the potential of a great cellaring wine of the Languedoc, crowned by the Guide Hachette des Vins.

Tasting & Service

Serving temperature

Serve between 17 and 18°C. Decanting is recommended 45 minutes before serving to let this great organic red of AOP Saint-Chinian Berlou express itself.

Cellaring potential

It can be drunk young but reaches its fullness after 5 to 10 years in the cellar. A great cellaring wine of the Languedoc — awarded a Coup de Cœur in the Guide Hachette des Vins.

Food Pairings

Elaborate dishes in sauce, Indian cuisine (tandoori chicken, green vegetable curry), Peking duck, dry-aged rib of beef, mature cheeses with character. A celebration wine that deserves great occasions and large gatherings — worthy of the finest moments of Languedoc-Roussillon gastronomy.

AOP Saint-Chinian Berlou — Agriculture Biologique (certified organic) — 100% Syrah — 12 months ageing in demi-muid — Coup de Cœur Guide Hachette des Vins — 2021 vintage — Domaine de Cambis, Berlou, Hérault