2018 Petit ChablisDomaine Roland Lavantureux
France | Burgundy
$30
Producers
Thanks to the vine age and the vineyard’s high elevation, the wine is quaffable and juicy, at a mere 12% alcohol. At the same time, it showcases its southern soul through dark, ripe fruit, licorice, rosemary, and thyme. Enjoy it with red meat, simply grilled.
—Julia Issleib
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 70% Carignan, 30% Mourvèdre |
Appellation: | Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Domaine Vinci |
Winemaker: | Emmanuelle Vinci, Olivier Varichon |
Vineyard: | Carignan = 80 years, Mourvedre = 12 years, 1 ha |
Soil: | Granite (Carignan), Schist (Mourvèdre), 1 ha |
Aging: | Wine aged in stainless steel tanks for 12 months |
Alcohol: | 12% |
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
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Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Rivesaltes
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Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
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.
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Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Pic Saint Loup
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
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
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
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