2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non MutéAntoine-Marie Arena
France | Corsica
$57
Producers
This is perhaps the hardest-to-pronounce cuvée name in our entire portfolio; you can get it simply by asking us for the Cupa. And ask for it you should. Château La Roque does everything right, from certified biodynamics to horse plowing to natural winemaking, all done without making any noise about it. The Cupa is the estate’s top wine, its cream-of-the-crop, limited-production Syrah and Mourvèdre blend from vines on Roman-built terraces. It’s dense, noble, with grip and grit, the kind of cuvée that could generate a lot of awe and attention... and also a much higher price tag. That’s not, however, La Roque’s style; it’s about the wine, not the marketing. You’ll be glad to find this beauty in your glass. Enjoy.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 65% Syrah, 35% Mourvèdre |
Appellation: | Languedoc Pic Saint Loup |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Château La Roque |
Winemaker: | Cyriaque Rozie |
Vineyard: | 40 years, 18 ha |
Soil: | Scree slopes, Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged in barrel (15% new), then in bottle for 12 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14.2% |
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
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 d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Montpeyroux
Les Vignes Oubliées France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Terrasses du Larzac
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Fitou
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pay de l’Aude
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Saint-Chinian
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Banyuls
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
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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