2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
Producers
Besides having one of the best names in the wine business, Cyriaque Rozier has one of the best jobs. He runs the historic estate of La Roque with carte blanche. The domaine is his oyster, if you will. While he long ago certified the estate as biodynamic, brought in the horses for working the vines, and banished all additives from the cellars, he now gets to focus and experiment on the details. This rosé, for instance—so pale you need to hold it up to a light and squint to see that slight flicker of rosé hue—blurs the line between rosé and blanc. It seems like a peek at a fifth dimension, a middle ground between light and shadow (cue Twilight Zone music). The look and the aromas say blanc, and yet the suave, velvet pillow feel says rosé. I say, “Yes, please!”
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | Rosé |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Cinsault, 20% Grenache, 20% Syrah |
Appellation: | Pic Saint Loup |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Château La Roque |
Winemaker: | Cyriaque Rozier |
Vineyard: | 3 ha, 20 years |
Soil: | Clay, limestone scree |
Aging: | Aged in stainless steel tanks for 4 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Pic Saint Loup
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | IGP Pays d'Oc
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
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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.
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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
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