CH’NG Poh Tiong
Antozonita 2020
Floral on the nose and with ripe red fruits and cherries. The harmony between supple fruitiness and soft, ripe tannins has been expertly struck. Following a short maceration, the vinification was under controlled temperature of between 22 and 26° Celsius. The finished wine was then matured in stainless steel tank for some 6 months. Antozonita is part of a range from Moulin de Gasssc, the second estate belonging to famed Languedoc “First Growth” Mas de Daumas Gassac. Antozonita is classified Pays d’Herault, the Herault being a department of Languedoc-Roussillon where many more varieties are allowed in its wines. The blend here is 35% Syrah, 25% Marselan, 20% Merlot and 20% Carignan. This is the first wine from the Languedoc I have tasted that comprises Marselan. When tasting it blind, I detected Syrah and thought there was also Grenache. Marselan was created in 1961 by the late Paul Truel (1924 – 2014) when he crossed Cabernet Sauvignon with Grenache. The French ampelographer had worked for the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique or INRA which is located near the Languedoc town of Marseillan for which the hybrid is named.
