2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
It’s hard to believe that the Champarts set up shop back in 1976. They still seem as young and enthusiastic as ever; Mathieu tends to the vines, Isabelle makes the wines. They must have a good laugh when they think of all the banks that refused to follow their endeavor, telling them there was no future in their little corner of the Languedoc. Not only did they make quite a future out of it, they became the hands-down benchmark of the region.
The Champart’s Vin de Pays is a unique beast. It’s made principally from Cabernet Franc vines within the Saint-Chinian appellation (which is not permitted by the appellation cops). It grabs your attention from the first pour with its dark, purple robe, then keeps you focused with a full, spicy Cab Franc nose. The palate is terroir-driven, loaded with stones and earth, the fruit is ripe and smooth, and the finish is pure spice, with lingering perfumes of roses, plums, and berries… a singularly delicious creation.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 70% Cabernet Franc, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan |
Appellation: | Vin de Pays d'Oc |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Mas Champart |
Winemaker: | Isabelle & Mathieu Champart |
Vineyard: | Syrah: 20 years, Cabernet Franc: 25 years, Carignan: 60-110 years |
Soil: | Marl, Clay, Limestone, Trias Sandstone |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Monts de la Grage
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays d'Oc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
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.
Les Vignes Oubliées France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Terrasses du Larzac
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Montpeyroux
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays de Mont Baudile
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint-Loup
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Rivesaltes
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171
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