Notify me
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La RoqueEven though this wine also hails from the slopes of Pic Saint Loup, Château La Roque has not been allowed to add “Pic Saint Loup” to its label since 2017, after the region was granted AOC status. Why? Because the appellation requires that at least 50% of the blend be Syrah, while old-vine Mourvèdre is the backbone of this gorgeous biodynamic cuvée. Notes of black cherries, iron, and blood orange coalesce in a plush and approachable bottling that would give many Bandols a run for their money.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 70% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 10% Grenache |
Appellation: | IGP Pays d'Oc |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Château La Roque |
Winemaker: | Cyriaque Rozier |
Vineyard: | 50 - 60 years, 18 ha |
Soil: | Clay, limestone scree |
Aging: | Aged in demi-muids (2,3,4, and 5 years old) for 18 months, aged in bottle for 6 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14.2% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Languedoc Blanc
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Lately you may have noticed a rise in freshness, a burst in aromatics, and a softness of texture in La Roque’s wines.
Banyuls Vinegar
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This vinegar is particular because it’s made with sweet wine, which confers a very unique taste.
2022 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Genuinely reflecting the down-home, country soulfulness we love about the Languedoc.
2019 Faugères “Valinière”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Valinière is a monumental demonstration of what happens when respectfully working the earth is not just a job, but one’s whole life.
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
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.
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
There is something timeless to La Roque’s Pic Saint Loup, its herbal bouquet and rich, fleshy texture, all free from any hint of modern trappings.
2022 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Its peachy-pink hue hints at what’s to come: orchard fruits and brambly wild berries, grapefruit and wet slate after a summer rain! A staple wine I can’t live without.
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This rosé, so pale you need to hold it up to a light that flicker of rosé hue, blurs the line between rosé and blanc.
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
These ancient hillside vines yield very little, giving an intensely concentrated juice with great acidity and a textured finish. Open it alongside seafood or as an apéritif.
2020 Collioure Rouge “La Pinède”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
If you can’t make it to the south of France this year, here’s a way to bring the Mediterranean sun to you.
About The Producer
Château La Roque
About The Region
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.
More from Languedoc-Roussillon or France
Vin de Pays Memoire “d’Automnes”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Collioure Rouge “Puig Oriol”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Faugères “Jadis”
Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Rouge
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Saint-Chinian Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Corbières “Rozeta”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Vin de Pays Memoire “d’Automnes”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Collioure Rouge “Puig Oriol”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Faugères “Jadis”
Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Rouge
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Saint-Chinian Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Corbières “Rozeta”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Traverses”
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
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