2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
Even though this wine also hails from the slopes of Pic Saint Loup, Château La Roque has not been allowed to add “Pic Saint Loup” to its label since 2017, after the region was granted AOC status. Why? Because the appellation requires that at least 50% of the blend be Syrah, while old-vine Mourvèdre is the backbone of this gorgeous biodynamic cuvée. Notes of black cherries, iron, and blood orange coalesce in a plush and approachable bottling that would give many Bandols a run for their money.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 70% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 10% Grenache |
Appellation: | Languedoc Pic Saint Loup |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Château La Roque |
Winemaker: | Cyriaque Rozier |
Vineyard: | 50 - 60 years, 18 ha |
Soil: | Scree slopes, Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged in demi-muids (2,3,4, and 5 years old) for 18 months, aged in bottle for 6 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14.2% |
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | A.O.C. Languedoc
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
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 Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Rivesaltes
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Fitou
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Collioure
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pay de l’Aude
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | A.O.C. Languedoc
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.
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