2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
Many describe the Roussillon as the new frontier of French wine, a result of producers like Domaine Vinci creating compelling cuvées from dramatic vineyards in the rugged highlands of French Catalonia. These arid, sun-drenched inclines are home to a number of extremely old vines in a diversity of soil types, often planted at high elevation—a recipe for concentrated wines with freshness and striking complexity derived from their terroir. The cuvée Rafalot comes from century-old dry-farmed Carignan in rugged clay and limestone soils, tended with the utmost care and respect for the environment. Olivier Varichon and his wife, Emmanuelle Vinci, stomp the grapes by foot and let them ferment naturally before aging the wine in neutral barrels before an unfined, unfiltered bottling with minimal added sulfur. Imposingly structured with deep, powerful black fruit, licorice, and spicy herbal tones, this big, bad Roussillon red makes a serious case for the Wild West of French wine.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Carignan |
Appellation: | Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Domaine Vinci |
Vineyard: | 100 years, 1 ha |
Soil: | Clay, limestone |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Domaine Vinci France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes
Vinci France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays du Mont Baudile
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Montpeyroux
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pay de l’Aude
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.
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Fitou
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Fitou
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays du Mont Baudile
Grange des Pères France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays de l’Hérault
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Montpeyroux
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint-Loup
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays de Mont Baudile
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Collioure
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Fitou
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa