Notify me
An Unlikely White Wine from an Unlikely Place
An Unlikely White Wine from an Unlikely Place
by Anthony Lynch by Anthony Lynch
** A Southern France Sale Selection ** ** A Southern France Sale Selection **
2018 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
2018 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
Cyriaque Rozier
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Use promo code SOUTHERN20 to take 20% off, now through the end of the month
This is the only white we’ve ever encountered that combines Chenin Blanc with Rolle (Vermentino) and Clairette—who ever would have thought those three could coexist so deliciously? But Cyriaque Rozier, the vigneron in charge at Château Fontanès, doesn’t leave anything to chance—his every move is measured, backed by endless research and hard work and guided by his sharp palate. If he decided to plant Chenin in this unusual southerly location, amid the craggy, garrigue-covered limestone slopes that make up the Pic Saint Loup appellation, he did so with purpose and intent. He knew that this is one of the coolest zones in the Languedoc, with elevation and cool air currents from the Cévennes Mountains tempering the Mediterranean sunshine, and Chenin would preserve excellent acidity to confer this wine nerve. It certainly does add some interesting character to his blend along with Rolle’s floral aromatics. Melony, snappy, bright, and clean, this is a delightful everyday white with a refreshingly different flavor profile.
Cyriaque Rozier
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 40% Rolle, 40% Chenin Blanc, 20% Clairette |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Château Fontanès |
Vineyard: | 1 ha, planted in 2005 |
Soil: | Limestone |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Use promo code SOUTHERN20 to take 20% off, now through the end of the month
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Genuinely reflecting the down-home, country soulfulness we love about the Languedoc.
2021 Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
One of five or six most outstanding dry whites of the Mediterranean rim, vintage after vintage and worth every centime!
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This wine is full of fresh Grenache fruit, beautifully perfumed, with a refined and elegant finish.
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
There is something timeless to La Roque’s Pic Saint Loup, its herbal bouquet and rich, fleshy texture, all free from any hint of modern trappings.
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
One of the great reds of the Languedoc. Rhône Valley, look out!
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
It’s dense, noble, with grip and grit, the kind of cuvée that could generate a lot of awe and attention... and also a much higher price tag.
2020 Faugères “Jadis”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Earthy, meaty, savory, juicy, and powerful, it is a glassful of joyful, soulful goodness.
2022 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Melony, snappy, bright, and clean, this is a delightful everyday white with a refreshingly different flavor profile.
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Maybe it’s the biodynamic farming, but these wines always seem to have an extra gear when it comes to aromatics and sheer deliciousness.
2022 Languedoc Blanc
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Lately you may have noticed a rise in freshness, a burst in aromatics, and a softness of texture in La Roque’s wines.
About The Producer
Château Fontanès
About The Region
Languedoc-Roussillon
Ask wine drinkers around the world, and the word “Languedoc” is sure to elicit mixed reactions. On the one hand, the region is still strongly tied to its past as a producer of cheap, insipid bulk wine in the eyes of many consumers. On the other hand, it is the source of countless great values providing affordable everyday pleasure, with an increasing number of higher-end wines capable of rivaling the best from other parts of France.
While there’s no denying the Languedoc’s checkered history, the last two decades have seen a noticeable shift to fine wine, with an emphasis on terroir. Ambitious growers have sought out vineyard sites with poor, well draining soils in hilly zones, curbed back on irrigation and the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and looked to balance traditional production methods with technological advancements to craft wines with elegance, balance, and a clear sense of place. Today, the overall quality and variety of wines being made in the Languedoc is as high as ever.
Shaped like a crescent hugging the Mediterranean coast, the region boasts an enormous variety of soil types and microclimates depending on elevation, exposition, and relative distance from the coastline and the cooler foothills farther inland. While the warm Mediterranean climate is conducive to the production of reds, there are world-class whites and rosés to be found as well, along with stunning dessert wines revered by connoisseurs for centuries.
More from Languedoc-Roussillon or France
2022 Vin de France Blanc “L'Estrade”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Banyuls “Reserva”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Collioure Rouge “Puig Oriol”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Languedoc Blanc “Aupilhac”
Domaine d'Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Vin de France “Le Carignan”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Saint Jacques”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Rouge
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc “L'Estrade”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Banyuls “Reserva”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Collioure Rouge “Puig Oriol”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Languedoc Blanc “Aupilhac”
Domaine d'Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Vin de France “Le Carignan”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Saint Jacques”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Rouge
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236