2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
The Languedoc is certainly not known for its white wines, but planting the right grapes in the right site can yield great results. Retaining freshness is the crucial determinant here, as the hot meridional climate favors low acidity, and grapes like Marsanne and Grenache Blanc are lacking in natural acidity to begin with. At 350 meters above sea level, Les Cocalières experiences diurnal temperature shifts crucial to preserving this acid, while the northwestern sun exposure prevents excessive ripeness and correspondingly flabby wines. The vineyard also boasts a curious and unusual soil: the land was once a lake that formed after the eruption of an ancient volcano, resulting in a mixture of limestone and basalt—a rare geological phenomenon.
Sylvain Fadat, founder of Domaine d’Aupilhac, ferments the juice wild and ages the wine for more than a year in neutral casks, where it completes its malolactic fermentation before an unfiltered bottling. The Cocalières blanc perfectly reflects its terroir: taut, mineral—almost salty—and suggestive of the wild thyme and fennel that grow abundantly around the vines. It also has tremendous aging potential; a 2002 opened recently showed astonishing complexity, reminiscent of honey, almonds, wildflowers, and liquid rocks.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 30% Roussanne, 30% Vermentino, 20% Grenache Blanc, 20% Marsanne |
Appellation: | Languedoc |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Domaine d'Aupilhac |
Winemaker: | Sylvain Fadat |
Vineyard: | 10 years |
Soil: | Limestone, Basalt |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays de Mont Baudile
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Montpeyroux
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays de Mont Baudile
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
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Collioure
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Pic Saint Loup
Selected By Kermit Lynch France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pay de l’Aude
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Collioure
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch
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