Notify me
2018 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
Mas ChampartIt’s hard to believe that the Champarts set up shop back in 1976. They still seem as young and enthusiastic as ever, and they must have a good laugh when they think of all the banks that refused to follow their endeavor, telling them there was no future in their little corner of the Languedoc. Not only did they make quite a future out of it, they became the hands-down benchmark of Saint-Chinian by which all others are judged. A single swirl and sniff of this Mourvèdre-majority masterpiece is all it takes to see what forty-one years of experience can bring to the table. “That’s the ticket!!!” read my notes. Lots of pleasure and even more soul.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 65% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, 15% Carignan |
Appellation: | Saint-Chinian |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Mas Champart |
Winemaker: | Isabelle & Mathieu Champart |
Soil: | Marl, Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged for 18 months in demi-muids after a long maceration |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Saint-Chinian Blanc
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Showcasing impressive texture and flavors of citrus, stone fruit, and spring flowers, this offers a great pairing for grilled fish or seared scallops.
2022 Languedoc Blanc “Aupilhac”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A blend of Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, and Vermentino that tastes as if bees had harvested the nectar and pollen of all the local flowers and herbs and brewed it into wine.
2022 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Melony, snappy, bright, and clean, this is a delightful everyday white with a refreshingly different flavor profile.
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A stony, spicy cuvée full of Mediterranean sunshine, aromatic garrigue, and a hint of salinity that offers a perfect match for grilled rosemary lamb chops.
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
These ancient hillside vines yield very little, giving an intensely concentrated juice with great acidity and a textured finish. Open it alongside seafood or as an apéritif.
Banyuls “Reserva”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
You will be surprised how well this dessert wine will pair with toasted almonds, bleu cheese or nice dark chocolate.
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Maybe it’s the biodynamic farming, but these wines always seem to have an extra gear when it comes to aromatics and sheer deliciousness.
2020 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A Mourvèdre-majority masterpiece, lots of pleasure and even more soul.
2020 Collioure Rouge “La Pinède”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
If you can’t make it to the south of France this year, here’s a way to bring the Mediterranean sun to you.
2022 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A remarkably graceful rouge from one of our favorite appellations in southern France.
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.
More from Languedoc-Roussillon or France
2021 Corbières Rouge “Réserve La Demoiselle”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Saint-Chinian Blanc “Montmajou”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Vin de Pays Memoire “d’Automnes”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Banyuls Vinegar
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Rouge “Réserve La Demoiselle”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Saint-Chinian Blanc “Montmajou”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Vin de Pays Memoire “d’Automnes”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Banyuls Vinegar
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.
Inspiring Thirst, page 211