Calendal is the joint project Gilles Ferran at Escaravailles and renowned oenologist Philippe Cambie. Cambie consults to some of the very best vineyards in the Rhone, Clos Saint Jean, Clos du Caillou and Escaravailles to name a few. I was lucky enough to taste this wine at the Escaravailles cellars with Gilles a couple of weeks ago, the wines are nothing short of excellent, as with all his wines you have an extraordinary amount of saturated black fruits due to the high proportion of Mourvedre (80%) backed up with sweet Grenache. It is drinking superbly at the moment but will improve over the next couple of years; personally I would not be able to keep my hands off it. Put your trust in me this is nothing short of jaw dropping superb wine; get onboard before the rest of the world.
Bright deep colour, then the harmonious nose which marries spice, pepper and hedgerow. The palate is delicious now, with honours spread evenly over the constituent grape varieties; sweet concentrated red-berried fruit from the Grenache, definition and purity from the Syrah and darker earthy grip from the Mourvèdre. The promotion of Plan De Dieu is more than justified by this splendid wine! Excellent with casseroles and red meat.
The combination of a rejuvenated Ferraton, a superlative vintage, and a new appellation is an exciting prospect indeed. Plan de Dieu is an evocatively named limestone plateau located between Orange and the Dentelles de Montmirail, its alleged monastic heritage not immediately evident, it has to be said. An alumnus of Smith Haute Lafitte in Bordeaux, Grégorie Viennois is now making the wines at Ferraton, and making them very well indeed, especially in the near-perfect year.