Calicem: Tasting & Drinking
The style of Calicem is quite different to that at Couvent des Jacobins, as it should be. It has a richer colour, a deeper and velvety texture, and a rich and ripe core of tannins. It is not a ‘garagiste’ style, not smothered in new oak, but it is made with a great deal of attention lavished upon it, and it therefore has plenty of colour and concentration. And with less than a hectare of vines producing just a few thousand bottles per annum, that’s hardly surprising.
Quality is high, with a great result in 2015, the inaugural vintage, and similar levels of excellence achieved in the 2018 and 2019 vintages. Of these three releases the 2018 just edges it for me, but the differences are minimal, and I would be happy to find myself drinking any of these. (3/8/22, updated 7/9/24)
