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2016 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Causse du Bousquet”
Mas ChampartHere’s a fun fact: the name of this wine comes from the Occitan language, a hidden linguistic gem of the Languedoc. Causse du Bousquet roughly means “limestone plateau of the little woods.” I think of this red, though, as the “Classe du Bousquet” because the bottle is filled with pure class. A blend of mostly Syrah, with small amounts of Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Carignan, this wine could go toe to toe quality-wise with most Syrahs of the northern Rhône—and cost you a whole lot less. Since 1988, husband-and-wife team Matthieu and Isabelle Champart have bottled wine under their own label, and for nearly that long they have been highly respected throughout France. Matthieu tends the vines and Isabelle is the blending genius in the cave. Her talent and the high-elevation terroir’s gifts shine through here. Notes of peonies, garrigue, black fruit, and a slightly smoky, savory quality provide a sophisticated red that is a joy to drink now. It will age beautifully over the next fifteen to twenty years.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 74% Syrah, 6% Grenache, 4% Cinsault, 6% Mourvèdre, 10% Carignan |
Appellation: | Saint-Chinian |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Mas Champart |
Winemaker: | Isabelle & Mathieu Champart |
Vineyard: | Syrah: 15/25 years, Grenache: 25 years, Mourvèdre: 15/25 years, Carignan: 60-110 years, 16 ha total |
Soil: | Marl, Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged in barrels and demi-muids for at least 12 months, and then blended and aged in cuve for 8 months |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
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About The Producer
Mas Champart
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.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.