Notify me
2021 Languedoc Blanc
Château La Roque
Lately you may have noticed a rise in freshness, a burst in aromatics, and a softness of texture in La Roque’s wines. One secret to this development (winemakers, take note!) is that, upon harvest, the grapes—picked into small crates—are stacked up in a cold room and left alone for a full thirty-six hours. What this does is chill them down to the seed, and when the juice is then pressed and the indigenous yeasts wake from their cold-induced slumber, they take it nice and easy for a slow ferment. Some say that historically in Burgundy, for example, the region’s reputation for great blanc came about partly because of the cellars’ deep natural chill, which forced the yeasts to slow down and take their time, allowing for greater complexity and bouquet. You could call it Slow Wine.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 30% Marsanne, 30% Rolle, 25% Grenache Blanc, 15% Viognier/Roussanne |
Appellation: | Languedoc |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Château La Roque |
Winemaker: | Cyriaque Rozier |
Vineyard: | 30 years, 6 ha for both white wines |
Soil: | Clay, limestone scree |
Aging: | Aged in cement tanks (80%) and demi-muids (20%) for 6 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region

2021 Pays d’Hérault Rouge
Domaine de la Grange des Pères
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Grange des Pères defies categorization and redefines greatness.

2021 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Cherry-cheeked and ebullient, this old-vine Mourvèdre acts anything but its age. Pure fun and drinkability. Age ain’t nothing but a number!

2022 Corbières Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
For this perennially over-delivering cuvée, Bruno Laboucarié blends two parts Carignan with one part Grenache and a splash of Syrah to produce a vibrant country red reminiscent of black cherries and spice.

Vin de Pays Memoire “d’Automnes”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
With its aromas of toasted almonds and butterscotch, the resulting bone-dry wine is nothing short of enthralling.

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.

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 Vin de France Blanc “Malvoise”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Tasting the bottle, one quickly sees winemaker Cyriaque Rozier’s statement that Malvasia has “acclimated perfectly to the land of La Roque” is not an overstatement.

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.

2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Maybe it’s the biodynamic farming, but these wines always seem to have an extra gear when it comes to aromatics and sheer deliciousness.

2023 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A remarkably graceful rouge from one of our favorite appellations in southern France.
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
2019 Faugères “Jadis”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rouge “Réserve La Demoiselle”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2018 Vin de France “Grenache Oxydatif”
Domaine Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Blanc
“La Bégou”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Cebenna”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2024 Saint-Chinian Rosé
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Malvoise”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc de Voile
Domaine Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Jadis”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Rouge “Réserve La Demoiselle”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2018 Vin de France “Grenache Oxydatif”
Domaine Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Corbières Blanc
“La Bégou”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Cebenna”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2024 Saint-Chinian Rosé
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Malvoise”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc de Voile
Domaine Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc
Domaine Leon Barral 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