Notify me
2021 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Sortilège”
Les Eminades
Sortilège is a savory and chalky Mourvèdre-based cuvée with tannins finer than I had ever experienced from this grape. The velvety finish lingers seductively on the taste buds, and who doesn’t like being seduced?
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 55% Mourvèdre, 40% Syrah, 5% Grenache |
Appellation: | Saint-Chinian |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Les Eminades |
Winemaker: | Patricia & Luc Bettoni |
Vineyard: | 20-40 years old; 4 ha |
Soil: | Jurassic limestone |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
More from this Producer or Region

Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Evaporation over time has concentrated the wine, giving it considerable strength to go with its trademark rancio aromas of walnuts and brine.

2023 Vin de France Rouge “Saint Jacques”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Equal parts Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, this boasts all of Maxime’s trademark elegance and silkiness.

2023 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
April Club Gourmand ~ Evokes citrus rind, herbs, and sea spray and boasts all of the freshness of a Mediterranean breeze.

2023 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A remarkably graceful rouge from one of our favorite appellations in southern France.

2023 Pays d’Oc Blanc “Les Traverses de Fontanès”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Melony, snappy, bright, and clean, this is a delightful everyday white with a refreshingly different flavor profile.

2023 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Cebenna”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Generous and floral, with fragrant hints of lavender, purple fruit, and brambly garrigue.

2022 Saint-Chinian Blanc “Montmajou”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The Jurassic limestone soil and high elevation lieu-dit where the name “Montmajou” springs from lend this blanc a lean elegance.

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.

2023 Saint-Chinian Rouge “La Pierre Plantée”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A model of lightness and drinkability for southern reds!

2020 Faugères “Jadis”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Earthy, meaty, savory, juicy, and powerful, it is a glassful of joyful, soulful goodness.
About The Producer
Les Eminades
In 2002, Luc Bettoni and his wife Patricia purchased twelve hectares of vines, primarily in limestone-rich sites where the grapes would retain good acidity levels despite the baking Mediterranean climate. The young vignerons first replanted five hectares, and then gradually added additional plots over the years, including some very old plantings, seeking out vineyards at higher elevation where grapes ripen later, to preserve freshness and balance. Patricia and Luc now farm thirty small parcels across three communes. They obtained organic certification in 2008 and converted to biodynamics ten years later. Winemaking at Les Eminades is gentle and straightforward, with the goal of expressing the nuances found within Saint-Chinian’s diversity of terroirs through the lens of traditional Languedocien cépages such as Cinsault, Grenache, and Carignan. Fermentations in their small cellar occur spontaneously, and sulfur doses are kept very low to achieve a seductive aromatic and textural quality in the wines. Their cuvées yield a range of expressions of this undervalued appellation, yet they share a striking purity of fruit, intoxicating aromatics, and suave tannins rarely seen this far south.
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
2021 Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Corbières “Rozeta”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Jadis”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rouge
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Terrasses du Larzac Rouge
Les Vignes Oubliées France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Corbières “Rozeta”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Jadis”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rouge
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Terrasses du Larzac Rouge
Les Vignes Oubliées France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.
Inspiring Thirst, page 211