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Value of the Year: An Expat in Pic Saint Loup
Value of the Year: An Expat in Pic Saint Loup
by Anthony Lynch by Anthony Lynch
2019 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
2019 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”


Cyriaque Rozier

Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays d’Oc
One of the single greatest value reds we import is a pure Cabernet Sauvignon, but not one from the grape’s hallowed homeland of Bordeaux. No, the grape could never make for such a bargain bottling in the land of fancy châteaux, nor express the juiciness, charming rusticity, and completely unfussy nature that it does in the wild countryside of southern France.
Cabernet is a transplant to the sunny Languedoc—one that has proven to work extremely well in the garrigue-saturated limestone rubble that makes up the Pic Saint Loup appellation. This biodynamic rendition is one of the rare expressions of the grape to provide a very elemental form of pleasure, not unlike the feeling of lifting a fistful of sumptuous-looking blackcurrants straight to your face.


Cyriaque Rozier

Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Appellation: | Vin de Pays d’Oc |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Château Fontanès |
Winemaker: | Cyriaque Rozier |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1970, 1 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone, Marl |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14.2% |
More from this Producer or Region

2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Shows a kinship with the northern Rhône, echoing aromas of black olive and violets.

2020 Corbières “Rozeta”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The Rozeta features the exuberant, inviting perfume and velvety wild fruit we expect from a wine that underwent 100% whole-cluster fermentation.

Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
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Evaporation over time has concentrated the wine, giving it considerable strength to go with its trademark rancio aromas of walnuts and brine.

2023 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.

2023 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Cebenna”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Generous and floral, with fragrant hints of lavender, purple fruit, and brambly garrigue.

2019 Faugères “Jadis”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Earthy, meaty, savory, juicy, and powerful, it is a glassful of joyful, soulful goodness.

2022 Vin de France Blanc
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Searching for something a bit funky to enliven your jaded palate? Look no further and prepare for an experience like none other.

2023 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Genuinely reflecting the down-home, country soulfulness we love about the Languedoc.

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.

2022 Corbières Blanc “La Bégou”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Just different and obscure enough to deliver the thrill of introducing someone to a gorgeous wine that is familiar, but new.

About The Producer
Château Fontanès
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
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2021 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Saint Jacques”
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2023 Corbières Rouge “La Démarrante”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Faugères “Jadis”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Sortilège”
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2023 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174