I nab wines that have geologic-sounding names, and so it was with Château Silex Éloge, silex being the French word for flint or chert. This time I got to use my new copy of James Wilson's monumental Terroir: The Role of Geology, Climate, and Culture in the Making of French Wines for work instead of pleasure. This food-friendly Rhône blend is not heavy with mineral flavor elements, and Wilson helped me understand why. Learn more and see more geo-wines in the Geologic Wine Labels gallery.
Château Silex Éloge — Geology Guide photo
Comments
Andrew – a post after my own heart! I firmly believe that the relationship between wine and geology is a subject that can sustain endless and rewarding investigation, and I periodically spend time in France pursuing this topic (somebody has to do it). I have found that essentially every French winemaker is a geologist of one sort or another (after all, the regulatory appelation system is intimately linked to “terroir” and geology). When I vist a winery and tell the winemaker that I’m a geologist, it opens up an entirely new and longlasting conversation – geological maps are produced and a deep knowledge of the geology of each parcel of vines is revealed.
And this knowledge often shows up in the labels – I have numerous examples and would be happy to contribute to the gallery. Three label photos that I have here (many more on my computer in France) are “Les Arenes de Granit” (Roussillon Villages), “Mas Noir Gres de Montpellier” (Languedoc), and “Vin de Pays des Sables du Golfe de Lion” – vines grown on the sand dunes of the Rhone delta, escaping the phylloxera epidemic because the pest cannot survive in sand.
Chateau silex is so called because of the constitution of the soil. the flood plains of the Rhône are made of alpine molasse peeble and also flint pebbles enough
best regards
g. Boccaccio , France
Hi Andrew, I had a bottle of the 2003 Silex Eloge and noticed yours was 2004? Can you tell me where you purchased it? I am having trouble finding it…It is a wonderful wine.
Joanne, it was at my local wine shop, where I make a practice of trying wines with geologic themes. Haven’t seen it again.