Languedoc
The Other South of France
by Tom Wolf
2023 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
When I was an undergraduate at a university with a historic basketball program, members of the team would emerge from time to time to play pick-up games against us mortal humans on a court tucked among the dorms. These were thrilling occasions not only for the students playing with and against them, but also for most everyone from the surrounding residence halls, who relished the chance to watch some of the best young talent in the country play with unbridled flair. I couldn’t help but think of this when I recently tasted Château Fontanès’s Cabernet Sauvignon. Like the D1 athletes, when freed from the high-stakes spectacle, hype, and expectations of competitive and widely publicized games, Fontanès’s Cabernet showed that this normally stately grape can display an exceptionally fun side recalling the verve and soul of its roots. The joy it embodies is so pure that it makes you wonder, why isn’t more Cabernet made this way?
2023 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The Ravaille family of Héritage du Pic Saint Loup is probably best known for their soulful and uncommonly elegant reds, but they make a beautiful white wine, too. Hailing from a high-altitude limestone vineyard, Sainte Agnès evokes citrus rind, herbs, and sea spray and boasts all of the freshness of a Mediterranean breeze.
2023 Vin de France Rouge “Saint Jacques”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
I don’t know of anyone else making Languedoc reds like Maxime Magnon. His Saint Jacques pours and drinks like cru Beaujolais but with the flavors and essence of the French south. At once bright, earthy, and ambrosial, this is the stuff of Paris wine bar dreams.
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