2021 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”Bernard Baudry
France | Loire
$36
Producers
With stunning coastal vineyards on incredibly rocky soils of limestone and schist, Valérie Guérin has all the ingredients to produce distinctive and delicious wines from the Languedoc's Fitou appellation. Her dedication to organic farming and straightforward techniques in the cellar—no additives except small doses of sulfur; no oak—allows the character of her garden-like vineyards to shine through in full. This pure Mourvèdre bottling is unlike any other we import, showing beautiful energy and mineral drive, with spicy aromas of peppercorn and violets, along with chewy, gravelly tannins.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Mourvèdre |
Appellation: | Fitou |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Domaine Les Mille Vignes |
Vineyard: | 34 years old |
Soil: | Limestone, marl, schist |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pay de l’Aude
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pay de l’Aude
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Fitou
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Rivesaltes
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.
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Banyuls
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | A.O.C. Languedoc
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Collioure
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.
Inspiring Thirst, page 312
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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