🍷 Les Novices – Abbaye Sylva Plana

A Faugères wine full of fruit, with the suppleness we love at the table

There are bottles you open without waiting for a special occasion. Les Novices 2024 is one of them. This red wine from Abbaye Sylva Plana naturally complements meals with friends, barbecues, and convivial moments.

What makes it special? A winemaking process tailored to each grape variety: Cinsault and Carignan undergo carbonic maceration to emphasize fruit, while Grenache enjoys longer tank fermentation to add more substance.

The result is a delicious and approachable Faugères, with aromas of red fruit and garrigue, and ripe, supple tannins. A red wine that easily finds its place at a beautiful table.

🔍 Key characteristics:

• Name: Les Novices

• Producer: Abbaye Sylva Plana – Vignobles Bouchard

• Appellation: AOP Faugères

• Vintage: 2024

• Wine region: Languedoc – Haut-Languedoc

• Country: France

• Color: Red

• Grape varieties: Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan

• Certification: Organic farming

• Alcohol content: 13.5% ABV

• Volume: 75 cl

• Terroir: Schist, clay-limestone soils and marble

• Winemaking: Hand-harvested, carbonic maceration for Cinsault and Carignan, long tank fermentation for Grenache

👁️ Wine characteristics

Appearance: A deep and luminous red color.

Nose: A fresh and aromatic nose, marked by red fruit and aromas of garrigue.

Palate: The wine offers a beautiful volume, with a supple texture and ripe, supple tannins. The aromas of red fruit combine with Mediterranean notes for a delicious tasting experience.

Finish: Pleasant and fruity, continuing the notes of red fruit and garrigue.

🍽️ Food and wine pairings:

Les Novices is particularly at its best with convivial cuisine and dishes with generous flavors.

• 🥩 Grilled meats: ribeye steak, beef skewers and barbecue sausages.

• 🍖 Lamb: grilled chops with Herbs de Provence.

• 🍗 Poultry: roast chicken, guinea fowl and marinated skewers.

• 🥓 Charcuterie: dry-cured sausage, country ham and artisanal terrines.

• 🍅 Mediterranean cuisine: stuffed vegetables, eggplant gratin and vegetable tian.

• 🧀 Cheese: aged tommes and character cheeses.

Our suggestion: rosemary grilled lamb chops, accompanied by roasted vegetables. The aromas of red fruit and garrigue pleasantly prolong the flavors of the herbs and grilled meat.

🕰️ Tasting and storage tips:

Serving temperature: between 14 and 16 °C.

Preparation: open the bottle 15 to 30 minutes before serving. A short aeration is enough to appreciate its aromatic expression.

Aging potential: preferably enjoyed in its youth, ideally within two to three years to fully enjoy its fruit and suppleness.

Storage: keep the bottle away from light, in a cool place at a stable temperature.

🌿 Expertise tailored to each grape variety:

The vines of Abbaye Sylva Plana thrive on the slopes of Faugères, in a Mediterranean environment characterized by schist, clay-limestone soils and marble.

To make Les Novices, the estate favors a differentiated winemaking process: Cinsault and Carignan are worked with carbonic maceration, while Grenache benefits from long tank fermentation.

Hand-harvesting and this specific work on the grape varieties allow their expression to be preserved and to create a cuvée where fruit and suppleness take center stage.