L’Œil du Temps 2022

Château Mignan – L'Œil du Temps 2022

AOP La Livinière – Languedoc cru

L'Œil du Temps is the grower's patience, bottled. A great red from Minervois La Livinière: powerful, deep and elegant — a wine that takes its time, like all the good things here.

Awards

• 89/100 at Decanter — for this 2022 vintage, tasted in 2025
• Gold medal, 95/100 — Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 — 2016 vintage
• 92/100 at Decanter — 2016 vintage
• 2 stars in the Guide Hachette 2021 (2017 vintage) and 2019 (2014 vintage)
• Terre de Vins Selection 2021 — 2016 vintage

Decanter World Wine Awards 2020, on the 2016 vintage: "Fabulously glossy balsamic red fruit aromatics on a bed of earthy oak and myrtle; lavish and layered with robust tannins and an opulent texture. Long and characterful."

See all the estate's awards

Terroir & grape varieties

Grown on the foothills of the Montagne Noire, on generous, living clay-limestone soil, this wine marries Syrah, Carignan and Grenache Noir. The grapes are picked at perfect ripeness, hand-sorted, then vinified with restraint so the terroir can speak.

Winemaking & ageing

Fermentation at around 28 °C and long macerations of more than four weeks in truncated wooden vats, for gentle, natural extraction. Barrel ageing refines the tannins and gives the wine its roundness and depth.

Tasting note

A dark robe with deep garnet reflections. The nose opens on ripe black fruit, truffle and liquorice. The palate is ample and velvety, with notes of candied fruit and undergrowth. The finish, long and mineral, leaves an impression of power held in check.

Food pairings

Serve with a grilled rib of beef, a game stew or a mature cheese. L'Œil du Temps likes long tables, good food and good company.

Serving & cellaring

• Serving temperature: 17 to 18 °C
• Cellaring potential: 8 to 10 years
• Alcohol: 15% vol

From the estate

At Château Mignan, we do not cheat with time. L'Œil du Temps is the patient grower's cuvée, the one that tells of the bond between the land, the hand and the years. A wine both proud and sincere — like the people of the Languedoc.