2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
This is the only white we’ve ever encountered that combines Chenin Blanc with Rolle (Vermentino) and Clairette—who ever would have thought those three could coexist so deliciously? But Cyriaque Rozier, the vigneron in charge at Château Fontanès, doesn’t leave anything to chance—his every move is measured, backed by endless research and hard work and guided by his sharp palate. If he decided to plant Chenin in this unusual southerly location, amid the craggy, garrigue-covered limestone slopes that make up the Pic Saint Loup appellation, he did so with purpose and intent. He knew that this is one of the coolest zones in the Languedoc, with elevation and cool air currents from the Cévennes Mountains tempering the Mediterranean sunshine, and Chenin would preserve excellent acidity to confer this wine nerve. It certainly does add some interesting character to his blend along with Rolle’s floral aromatics. Melony, snappy, bright, and clean, this is a delightful everyday white with a refreshingly different flavor profile.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 40% Rolle, 40% Chenin Blanc, 20% Clairette |
Appellation: | Vin de Pays d’Oc |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Château Fontanès |
Winemaker: | Cyriaque Rozier |
Vineyard: | 1 ha, planted in 2005 |
Soil: | Limestone |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint-Loup
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Fitou
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Fitou
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
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | A.O.C. Languedoc
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pay de l’Aude
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays de Mont Baudile
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Montpeyroux
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Montpeyroux
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Les Vignes Oubliées France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Terrasses du Larzac
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
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