2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
Deep in the Hautes-Corbières, a wildly hilly region of the Languedoc midway between Narbonne and Perpignan, a young Maxime Magnon stumbled upon a treasure: ancient vineyard parcels in steep, rocky soils destined to be abandoned, as local farmers were unwilling to break their backs to eke out tiny yields of wine that would ultimately get lost in the town co-op’s generic blend. Maxime seized the opportunity and bought the vineyards, immediately going organic. Today, Campagnès is his greatest red, a century-old field blend of mostly Carignan that is fermented whole-cluster and bottled unfiltered with very little sulfur. He counts Allemand, Barral, and Lapierre among his strongest influences, and it shows—this drinks like great cru Beaujolais infused with southern soul.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Field blend of 95% Carignan; also Grenache, Syrah, Grenache Gris, Macabou, Terret |
Appellation: | Corbières |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Maxime Magnon |
Winemaker: | Maxime Magnon |
Vineyard: | Over 100 years old |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
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.
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Collioure
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Montpeyroux
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Collioure
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Rivesaltes
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Monts de la Grage
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pay de l’Aude
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Selected By Kermit Lynch France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch
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