2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
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 | Saint-Chinian
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays d'Oc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Monts de la Grage
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.
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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