2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
Producers
When Sylvain Fadat founded Domaine d’Aupilhac in 1989, he set out to prove that the Languedoc, until then known primarily for its bulk wines, was a land capable of much, much more on a viticultural level. The family vineyards in Montpeyroux, a vigneron village in the foothills home to ideal sunbaked slopes, would be his starting point. Through organic farming and low yields, Sylvain sought to dispel the negative reputation associated with the Languedoc, shining a light on its best terroirs to show the region’s potential in the hands of a passionate artisan. The cuvée La Boda epitomizes his work: it combines full-throttle Mourvèdre from the marl soils of the lieu-dit Aupilhac with the fine-grained Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan of Cocalières, a cooler, high-altitude site with basalt and limestone soils. Aged for two years in barrel and bottled unfiltered, this soulful Languedoc super-cuvée promises to age just as gracefully as top bottlings from Bandol and the Rhône.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 40% Mourvèdre, 40% Syrah, 10% Carignan, 10% Grenache |
Appellation: | Languedoc |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Domaine d'Aupilhac |
Winemaker: | Sylvain Fadat |
Vineyard: | N/A |
Soil: | Limestone, Basalt, Clay, Scree, Blue Marl (with fossil deposits) |
Aging: | Ages for 24 months in 300L barrels |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Montpeyroux
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | 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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If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.
Inspiring Thirst, page 211
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