2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
Producers
The name of this cuvée, Jadis, roughly translates as “long ago, in olden days.” Old-timers often use the reflective, slightly melancholic word when they reminisce about the way things used to be. Barral’s wines in general, and this one in particular, have always tapped into my childhood memories of rural southern France: large family gatherings over endless meals of rustic, hearty, fragrant dishes, and bright purple wines filling up glass cups from worn liter bottles, all with a backdrop of joyous conversation and a haze of tobacco smoke. What will Jadis inspire for you?
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 50% Carignan, 30% Syrah, 20% Grenache |
Appellation: | Faugères |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Domaine Leon Barral |
Winemaker: | Didier Barral |
Vineyard: | 30 to 60 years, 10 ha |
Soil: | Schist |
Aging: | Aged for 24 to 26 months in barrel (10% new oak) |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Didier Barral represents the 13th generation to grow grapes in the tiny hamlet of Lenthéric, deep in the heart of the Languedoc. Domaine Léon Barral is a beacon of revolutionary winegrowing: shortly after founding the domaine, Didier decided that biodynamic practices were best for his 30 hectares of vineyards. His vines are very old—some up to 90 years of age—keeping yields naturally low. Once in the cellar, Didier’s harvest is cared for with the same zeal, though he would consider the wine all but finished once it leaves the vineyard. This level of artisanship was once nearly extinct, had it not been for Didier and the profound influence he has over viticulteurs who now see how his work ethic and ideology translates to results.
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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Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch
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
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa