2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non MutéAntoine-Marie Arena
France | Corsica
$57
Producers
I love a cool, light-bodied red, but with the arrival of early sunsets and long winter nights, I want to cozy up to one thing: an inky-dark rouge from a rustic terroir. I’m craving wines I can sink my teeth into, ones that deliver all the warmth and character of the sunbaked, shrubby terroir from which they sprang. This Vaucluse rouge, featuring plummy black fruit and surprisingly silky texture, is great with any wintry dish. If you are looking for suggestions, though, try it with flank steak drizzled in chimichurri or a smoky, charred-eggplant ratatouille—perfect for when it’s a bit nippy outside.
—Jane Augustine
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 55% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Merlot, 10% Marselan |
Country: | France |
Region: | Southern Rhône |
Producer: | Selected by Kermit Lynch |
Winemaker: | The Leydier Family |
Vineyard: | 18 years, 3.5 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Wine ages for 8 months in cuves before being bottled unfiltered |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
Selected By Kermit Lynch France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône | Côtes du Rhône
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône | Gigondas
Château de Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône | Tavel
Maxime François Laurent France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
The southern Rhône valley is Grenache country. It’s also known for its stones. With a viticulture history dating back well before the Popes arrived in the 12th century and one of France’s oldest appellations d'origine contrôlée, Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, the southern Rhône is unquestionably one of France’s best known and premier winegrowing regions. The wines have the pedigree and age-worthiness of Burgundy and Bordeaux, but with a rustic, Mediterranean character. Like most wines from southern France, the reds, whites, and rosés are blends. Filling out the Grenache for the reds and rosés, you’ll often find Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault. The common white grape varieties are Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Viognier, Roussane, and Marsanne among others. From the alluvial riverbed stones found in Lirac, Tavel, and Châteauneuf to the limestone cliffs of the Dentelles de Montmirail that influence Beaumes-de-Venise (where you’ll find excellent Muscat), Vacqueyras, and Gigondas, great terroir abounds.
Kermit’s entrance in the region came in the mid 1970s on his first trip with Richard Olney, an American ex-pat and friend of Alice Waters. On that trip, Richard introduced Kermit to the Brunier family of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Soon after, Kermit began importing the Brunier’s wines—their Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” bottling remains a staple of our portfolio today. In the late 1990s Kermit teamed up with the Brunier family to purchase the famed Gigondas estate, Domaine Les Pallières. More than 40 years later, we now import wines from fifteen southern Rhône domaines spanning the entire area of the region.
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône | Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône | Vin de France
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône | Vin de Pays de Vaucluse
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône | Gigondas
Gaël Petit France | Southern Rhône | Tavel
Château de Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône | Tavel
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône | Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône | Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
Château de Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône | Tavel
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône | Gigondas
Achard-Vincent France | Southern Rhône | Clairette de Die
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch
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