2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
This is perhaps the hardest-to-pronounce cuvée name in our entire portfolio; you can get it simply by asking us for the Cupa. And ask for it you should. Château La Roque does everything right, from certified biodynamics to horse plowing to natural winemaking, all done without making any noise about it. The Cupa is the estate’s top wine, its cream-of-the-crop, limited-production Syrah and Mourvèdre blend from vines on Roman-built terraces. It’s dense, noble, with grip and grit, the kind of cuvée that could generate a lot of awe and attention... and also a much higher price tag. That’s not, however, La Roque’s style; it’s about the wine, not the marketing. You’ll be glad to find this beauty in your glass. Enjoy.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 65% Syrah, 35% Mourvèdre |
Appellation: | Languedoc Pic Saint Loup |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Château La Roque |
Winemaker: | Cyriaque Rozie |
Vineyard: | 40 years, 18 ha |
Soil: | Scree slopes, Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged in barrel (15% new), then in bottle for 12 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14.3% |
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Pic Saint Loup
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Vinci France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
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.
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint-Loup
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Montpeyroux
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays du Mont Baudile
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Fitou
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Rivesaltes
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pay de l’Aude
Vinci France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Fitou
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays de l'Hérault
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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