Boulevard Napoléon, `Le Pal` Grenache Gris VdP de l'Hérault

As the co-founder of St. John, one of the world's most influential restaurants, Trevor Gulliver is a man of many enthusiasms. The house he bought in Minervois was intended as a place to unwind, but instead, Trevor saw an opportunity to exercise his natural curiosity and make some excellent wine. This decision was further cemented by the input of a talented local vigneron, who had just returned from running Michel Chapoutier’s Australian operations. The resulting project was named Boulevard Napoléon, after the street on which the house and winery are situated, in the village of La Livinière. This is a loving nod to St. John, which is also named after the street on which the original restaurant sits in Farringdon, London.

Trevor has always had an excellent eye for recognising quality in wine, having imported wines directly for St. John since 1996. It is only natural that this quality-led approach extends to his own wines. Sourced from old vineyards in the Minervois, the wines of Boulevard Napoléon have excellent bright, ripe fruit and a defined character that reflects their site. We were thrilled to welcome our old friends' wines into our portfolio in 2013.

The Boulevard Napoléon ‘Le Pal’ Grenache Gris, sourced from a single vineyard of 65-year-old vines, planted on sandstone and clay, is one of the best white wines we’ve tasted from the Languedoc. It is rich and supple on the palate with a lovely texture, complemented by smoke and liquorice on the finish. The ‘Le Pujol’ Grenache Noir, hailing from 70-year-old gobelet-pruned vines planted on sandstone, is a beautifully perfumed, fresh expression with bright red fruit aromas and vibrant acidity. The ‘L‘Angely’ Carignan is equally impressive. Sourced from 90-year-old vines planted on limestone clay soils, it illustrates Carignan’s incredible potential when planted in the right spot and handled with care. The resulting wine has excellent colour, a ripe and spicy nose, bright fruit and a supple texture on the palate. The ‘L‘Aberadou’ Cinsault, which hails from 60-year-old vines grown on schist soils, is perfumed with hints of purple flowers and delicate top notes that give finesse to the finish. These excellent wines have become highly sought after and well-regarded. As Trevor says, “we didn’t start from scratch to make ordinary.”