Sourced from low yielding 40 year old vines that sit on the highest elevation parcel of the property. A standout for those looking for a garrigue-driven Syrah/Mourvedre blend that shows way more focus, minerality, and tension than similar compositions grown in warmer, less rocky sites like the Southern Rhone. “Tribu d’A” is short for “Tribe of d’Aboville” and the family’s nickname amongst friends, family, and neighbors.
Winemaker Notes
Organic viticulture. Traditional hand picking into small crates. Total destemming, frequent pigeage (punching down the cap). Traditional vinification, Cuves en ciment brut. Blending, Light filtering, Traditional corks.
Specs
Vintage: 2016
Varietal: 70% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre
Origin: France
Appellation: AOC Coteaux du Languedoc Pézenas
Elaboration: Organic Viticulture: 20% of the cuvee is matured in a combination of first, second, and third use Taransaud barrels, the remainder in neutral vessels.
Alcohol: 14%
Winemaker: Ghislain d’Aboville and Roberto de la Mota
Perched on the foothills of the Haut Languedoc, near the charming town of Pézenas, Allegria is an environment-friendly estate, from the organic farming to the wooden architecture of the winery buildings.
Created in 2008, Allegria is the fruit of the friendship between two families: the d’Aboville family and the de la Mota family. The passion and enthusiasm of a young family with 5 children combined with the know-how of the legendary Argentinean winemaker, Roberto de la Mota, creator of “Cheval des Andes” and most recently the Bodega Mendel, known by all fans of Malbec.
Allegria means joy in the local language Occitan! We want to communicate this joy of life, our happiness, and share the Allegria through our wines, and with all those visiting our estate. We want to share the good vibes “of this hill where life is good”.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
2016 Allegria Tribu D’a Rouge
AOC Coteaux du Languedoc Pézenas
This is not your usual tasting note from me.
I am 64 years old. I have a Rhone/Sud palate. I have been working 10 hour days lately. I am tired. My last couple of rat bottles have been whites. I said, “Alice, send me a red next time.” Alice did not disappoint.
This is delightful juice and a stone cold value.
I won’t hyperbolize and call this a “baby Chateauneuf” … it isn’t.
What it is, is a very well made organic Syrah/Mourvedre blend from far southern France. Fermented in concrete vats. Oak is not really perceptible at all, which is how God intended. The tasting notes posted above are spot on.
I bought cases and cases of value Rhone and Languedoc-Roussillon reds in the 1990s. The best of them—think Gramenon or Lancyre—were delicious as all getout on release, and aged 20+ years just as well. I opened a '98 Lancyre recently, and it was brilliant.
This wine is like that, I can tell. Lovely purity of fruit on the palate. Moderately intense. Everything you love about an unmanipulated expression of Syrah/Mourvedre with all the right varietal notes. For my taste, a nearly perfect balance of acidity and moderate tannins… nice “grip.” Drink it now; don’t buy it to age. But if you forget about a bottle or two for 20 years in your cellar, you’ll be shocked as hell at how good it still is, I have no doubt.
@baldwino0 One thing I forgot to mention, these impressions are of the wine after being opened for a day. We had about 1/4 bottle on Weds evening, and saved the remaining 3/4 bottle, recorked but not vac’ed, for Thurs evening. I think that helped the structural components become more defined. This is a vibrant, youthful wine!
I received a bottle of Allegria this afternoon after a few days of chasing my tail with UPS. More on that later. Thank you guys for another opportunity to be a rat.
I was able to enlist my in-laws for a quick tasting this evening. They are my go-to Guinea rats. Initial aromas seemed pretty closed, but pleasant. There wasn’t too much alcohol. I’ve had Syrah in the past so I am familiar with it, though it isn’t one of my favorites generally. This is the first time hearing of Mourvedre so I’ve no idea what to expect. I noticed legs forming immediately with very little effort and the color was a dark purple and looked very inviting. First taste, I can definitely taste the syrah, a bit of alcohol warmth, and a long finish. It’s a bit sharp and chewy. Similar reactions from the in-laws, mom said she smelled berries and that it felt heavy with a long spicy finish. It definitely needs to breathe and open up some. Because of the schedule today, dinner was not on the menu so I grabbed some Colby cheese to see how that would pair. It was okay, but this definitely needs something heavier like steak. We left the bottle and glasses open for about an hour and it became much better. Less of the alcohol and a bit more fruit. Dad said it had a sharp but pleasant finish. I left their house, went home and poured a small glass to have with a slice of pizza and a little leftover cheesy pasta. The food definitely helps although it paired better with the pizza than the pasta. I have another glass or two in the bottle which I hope to have tomorrow with something more meaty. I’ll report back, but it will be late.
My initial thought that this would be a good value at $10. I guess I was a little low. My summary would be that if you like a syrah, you will be pleased with this. Just let it breathe a while before drinking.
I just read Baldwin’s report above before posting and I would agree with their insights.
I am always grateful to be a rat. I would request, though, a more timely email stating that a bottle is coming. I don’t know the logistics on that end, but it would really help.
I get email notifications from UPS when packages are to be delivered at my address. Unfortunately there must be a different system for next Day Air packages because I never get a notification through the UPS app nor email for those. I have a nest doorbell, so usually the driver will ring the doorbell and I can chat with them and they will leave the box without a signature. Unfortunately with the holidays they’ve hired subcontractors and this person did not ring the bell and I didn’t get a movement notification until they were already gone from the porch. Long story short, she tried to deliver once on Tuesday and twice on Wednesday and not at all on Thursday. For whatever reason my notifications from the doorbell arrived after she snuck up to the door and ran away, lol. Fortunately, I was able to pick it up at the customer counter Thursday evening.
@jaybird Oh,what a nightmare! Good job.
I would be cussing every day that somehow I missed the delivery and wifey would just be, like, “well if you didn’t order so much wine all the time…” OMG
@jaybird The wine definitely improves after it has been open for a day or more. Good review, and I agree with the “leggy” observation. I tried to photograph that but my lighting was just wrong. 14% alcohol is pushing the limits for a French wine; guess the fruit was fairly ripe (it does taste that way). I did read that rainfall from winter 2015 through Sep 2016 was 40-50% below average in the western Languedoc. Perhaps that resulted in smaller berries and more intensity in the crush.
As promised here’s a follow-up. Had about a glass left and paired that with a lamb chop cooked with a trader Joe’s citrus seasoning in the air fryer and some cilantro lime rice. It held up well, though it may not have been perfect. I was happy with it though. Tonight I noticed a little bit of a spicy burn in the back of my throat. It wasn’t off-putting but it was different. Overall a decent selection. Thanks again so much.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 Allegria Tribu D’a Rouge - $40 = 22.22%
@woopdedoo If you have a local UPS store, just put the shipping address as their location. Once it arrives to them you can let them know when you’ll be able to pickup if it’s outside a 7 day window. Unless of course you were just looking for an excuse to save money
@deadlyapp@woopdedoo Might want to check with your UPS store first. I tried that a couple of times here and they accepted the first couple of cases, charged me $5 each time. But then they got pissy and told me anymore packages might be refused because I didn’t have a mailbox there or have the UPS My Choice premium membership. I finally caved and paid the $19.99 for an annual My Choice premium. Can send directly there now or redirect no additional charge. FedEx is sooooooo much more user friendly here.
@kaolis@woopdedoo yeah this can happen. I also caved and paid the $20 so I can divert. Some UPS stores don’t care as much about following the “rules.” I miss the days when a redirect was free. It still makes no sense to me why it costs money since it should be easier for them.
@deadlyapp@kaolis@woopdedoo if only I had the UPS premium account this week, I could have avoided a lot of my headache. Oh well…
edit… Maybe I should spring for it before the Wellington ships. I’m sure there will be some holiday offerings in the next week also that I will consider purchasing. Hopefully there’s a coupon code for a half price UPS premium before then.
@deadlyapp@jaybird@woopdedoo UPS premium used to be $40? Now $20. I resisted because of the principle. But after enough UPS hassles, and after all hey we spend 20 bucks on a single glass of wine sometimes let alone a bottle…
2016 Allegria Tribu D’a Rouge
Gold, 90 Points ~ 2018 International Wine Challenge
Tasting Notes
About the Wine
Winemaker Notes
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$227.88/Case at Elixir Wine Group Allegria for 12x 2016 Allegria Tribu D’a Rouge
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Dec 16 - Tuesday, Dec 21
Allegria Tribu D’a Rouge
6 bottles for $89.99 $15/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $139.99 $11.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 Allegria Tribu D’a Rouge
2016 Allegria Tribu D’a Rouge
AOC Coteaux du Languedoc Pézenas
This is not your usual tasting note from me.
I am 64 years old. I have a Rhone/Sud palate. I have been working 10 hour days lately. I am tired. My last couple of rat bottles have been whites. I said, “Alice, send me a red next time.” Alice did not disappoint.
This is delightful juice and a stone cold value.
I won’t hyperbolize and call this a “baby Chateauneuf” … it isn’t.
What it is, is a very well made organic Syrah/Mourvedre blend from far southern France. Fermented in concrete vats. Oak is not really perceptible at all, which is how God intended. The tasting notes posted above are spot on.
I bought cases and cases of value Rhone and Languedoc-Roussillon reds in the 1990s. The best of them—think Gramenon or Lancyre—were delicious as all getout on release, and aged 20+ years just as well. I opened a '98 Lancyre recently, and it was brilliant.
This wine is like that, I can tell. Lovely purity of fruit on the palate. Moderately intense. Everything you love about an unmanipulated expression of Syrah/Mourvedre with all the right varietal notes. For my taste, a nearly perfect balance of acidity and moderate tannins… nice “grip.” Drink it now; don’t buy it to age. But if you forget about a bottle or two for 20 years in your cellar, you’ll be shocked as hell at how good it still is, I have no doubt.
In for a case to share with a friend. No-brainer.
@baldwino0 One thing I forgot to mention, these impressions are of the wine after being opened for a day. We had about 1/4 bottle on Weds evening, and saved the remaining 3/4 bottle, recorked but not vac’ed, for Thurs evening. I think that helped the structural components become more defined. This is a vibrant, youthful wine!
@baldwino0 Pretty sweet when Alice hits the mark with a bottle from an area the Rat is well acquainted with.
@baldwino0 Thanks for the great rattage, I was curious about this wine.
@baldwino0 @rjquillin
I received a bottle of Allegria this afternoon after a few days of chasing my tail with UPS. More on that later. Thank you guys for another opportunity to be a rat.
I was able to enlist my in-laws for a quick tasting this evening. They are my go-to Guinea rats. Initial aromas seemed pretty closed, but pleasant. There wasn’t too much alcohol. I’ve had Syrah in the past so I am familiar with it, though it isn’t one of my favorites generally. This is the first time hearing of Mourvedre so I’ve no idea what to expect. I noticed legs forming immediately with very little effort and the color was a dark purple and looked very inviting. First taste, I can definitely taste the syrah, a bit of alcohol warmth, and a long finish. It’s a bit sharp and chewy. Similar reactions from the in-laws, mom said she smelled berries and that it felt heavy with a long spicy finish. It definitely needs to breathe and open up some. Because of the schedule today, dinner was not on the menu so I grabbed some Colby cheese to see how that would pair. It was okay, but this definitely needs something heavier like steak. We left the bottle and glasses open for about an hour and it became much better. Less of the alcohol and a bit more fruit. Dad said it had a sharp but pleasant finish. I left their house, went home and poured a small glass to have with a slice of pizza and a little leftover cheesy pasta. The food definitely helps although it paired better with the pizza than the pasta. I have another glass or two in the bottle which I hope to have tomorrow with something more meaty. I’ll report back, but it will be late.
My initial thought that this would be a good value at $10. I guess I was a little low. My summary would be that if you like a syrah, you will be pleased with this. Just let it breathe a while before drinking.
I just read Baldwin’s report above before posting and I would agree with their insights.
I am always grateful to be a rat. I would request, though, a more timely email stating that a bottle is coming. I don’t know the logistics on that end, but it would really help.
I get email notifications from UPS when packages are to be delivered at my address. Unfortunately there must be a different system for next Day Air packages because I never get a notification through the UPS app nor email for those. I have a nest doorbell, so usually the driver will ring the doorbell and I can chat with them and they will leave the box without a signature. Unfortunately with the holidays they’ve hired subcontractors and this person did not ring the bell and I didn’t get a movement notification until they were already gone from the porch. Long story short, she tried to deliver once on Tuesday and twice on Wednesday and not at all on Thursday. For whatever reason my notifications from the doorbell arrived after she snuck up to the door and ran away, lol. Fortunately, I was able to pick it up at the customer counter Thursday evening.
@jaybird Oh,what a nightmare! Good job.
I would be cussing every day that somehow I missed the delivery and wifey would just be, like, “well if you didn’t order so much wine all the time…” OMG
@jaybird The wine definitely improves after it has been open for a day or more. Good review, and I agree with the “leggy” observation. I tried to photograph that but my lighting was just wrong. 14% alcohol is pushing the limits for a French wine; guess the fruit was fairly ripe (it does taste that way). I did read that rainfall from winter 2015 through Sep 2016 was 40-50% below average in the western Languedoc. Perhaps that resulted in smaller berries and more intensity in the crush.
@jaybird Thank you for the report and the bottle pairs well with your holiday decor.
As promised here’s a follow-up. Had about a glass left and paired that with a lamb chop cooked with a trader Joe’s citrus seasoning in the air fryer and some cilantro lime rice. It held up well, though it may not have been perfect. I was happy with it though. Tonight I noticed a little bit of a spicy burn in the back of my throat. It wasn’t off-putting but it was different. Overall a decent selection. Thanks again so much.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 Allegria Tribu D’a Rouge - $40 = 22.22%
A little blurb from the distributor about the wine, a few additional specs.
RS .3 g/l, PH 3.63, 700 case production
https://www.elixirwinegroup.com/product/allegria-tribu-da-rouge
I’d pick up a case, but the shipping window hits me when I am out of town.
@woopdedoo If you have a local UPS store, just put the shipping address as their location. Once it arrives to them you can let them know when you’ll be able to pickup if it’s outside a 7 day window. Unless of course you were just looking for an excuse to save money
@deadlyapp Do I call them and tell them to expect a package addressed to me but shipped to them?
@deadlyapp @woopdedoo Might want to check with your UPS store first. I tried that a couple of times here and they accepted the first couple of cases, charged me $5 each time. But then they got pissy and told me anymore packages might be refused because I didn’t have a mailbox there or have the UPS My Choice premium membership. I finally caved and paid the $19.99 for an annual My Choice premium. Can send directly there now or redirect no additional charge. FedEx is sooooooo much more user friendly here.
@kaolis @woopdedoo yeah this can happen. I also caved and paid the $20 so I can divert. Some UPS stores don’t care as much about following the “rules.” I miss the days when a redirect was free. It still makes no sense to me why it costs money since it should be easier for them.
@deadlyapp @kaolis @woopdedoo if only I had the UPS premium account this week, I could have avoided a lot of my headache. Oh well…
edit… Maybe I should spring for it before the Wellington ships. I’m sure there will be some holiday offerings in the next week also that I will consider purchasing. Hopefully there’s a coupon code for a half price UPS premium before then.
@deadlyapp @jaybird @woopdedoo UPS premium used to be $40? Now $20. I resisted because of the principle. But after enough UPS hassles, and after all hey we spend 20 bucks on a single glass of wine sometimes let alone a bottle…
@jaybird
I’m not sure if this is still valid, but it’s definitely worth a try.
The rats sold me on a case!
/giphy iconic-twinkling-jubilance
Yep…I too am a sucker for good rattage and of course, Southern French wine in general. In for a case!
tranquil-cherubic-blitzen
If anyone in Denver is buying a case and willing to share, I’d be down for 3 - 6 bottles.