2020 Gard Rouge “Célas”Ludovic Engelvin
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
$39
Producers
A pure Grenache from a north-facing parcel on sandstone soil. Delicate, floral, utterly seductive aromatics; silky texture.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Grenache |
Appellation: | Gard |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Ludovic Engelvin |
Winemaker: | Ludovic Engelvin |
Vineyard: | 3 ha, 40 years average |
Soil: | Sandstone |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint-Loup
Situated halfway between the Pic Saint Loup and Tavel, the area known as the Languedoc Gardois has long been a viticultural hotspot: the Romans, who made the nearby city of Nîmes an important hub, established a thriving winemaking industry here centuries ago. Local wines enjoyed notable prestige throughout history, but a shift toward productivity over quality in the twentieth century all but stripped the region of its reputation. Thanks to forward-thinking young vignerons like Ludovic Engelvin, these historic terroirs are once again living up to their former glory.
After studies in viticulture and enology, Ludovic interned in cellars across southern France, Spain, and the Loire Valley, including a formative stint with the late Didier Dagueneau. Next, he took a sommelier position at a reputable establishment in Provence, where he honed his tasting skills and earned numerous awards, before leaving the restaurant world to open his own wine shop outside of Nîmes. Keen on making his own wine, he rented some vines, then sold the shop two years later to become a full-time vigneron. The 2013 vintage, vinified in his tiny cellar in the sleepy village of Vic-le-Fesq, marked his first commercial releases.
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.
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint-Loup
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays d’Oc
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Collioure
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Banyuls
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236
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
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