Domaine Hauvette 's Cuvée Améthyste is the rarest and most renowned cuvée produced by Dominique Hauvette. Produced from a magnificent blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan, whose old vines are planted on rocky clay-limestone soils, it boasts a concentration, fine texture and grain of tannins that are out of the ordinary for a Provence wine. Hand-harvested, the grapes are fermented with their indigenous yeasts before ageing in concrete eggs to preserve the full expression of the rocky Alpilles terroir.
Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Domaine Hauvette's Améthyste cuvée is a pure jewel of the Alpilles, with a strong emphasis on Cinsault. Its relative austerity in youth gives way over the years to a very airy expression, subtly floral and spicy. Dominique Hauvette 's talent is at work in this remarkable cuvée, where Cinsault, usually reserved for rosés or light reds, expresses itself here with a character we don't know much about, breaking the codes of Provence wines.
On the nose, the wine opens with airy notes of dried flowers, enriched by a concentration of jammy black fruits. Violet, garrigue and peony combine to create an intense bouquet, which opens up to heady, elegant scents of sandalwood, lavender and long pepper.
On the palate, the wine reveals unexpected finesse, coating the palate with the exquisite sweetness of ripe tannins. Aromas of ripe red and black fruits meet notes of garrigue and black olive, while empyreumatic accents of smoke imbue the finish with breathtaking persistence.