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2022 Terrasses du Larzac Rouge
Les Vignes Oubliées

Jean-Baptiste Granier

The Terrasses du Larzac

An incredible renaissance has taken place in the last three or so decades in the Languedoc, wherein a new generation of curious, conscientious, and ambitious vignerons have breathed new life into old plots of vines that had fallen out of favor in the late 20th century owing to lower yields and farming difficulty. This is true for many of our growers in the Languedoc, but perhaps none more so than Jean-Baptiste Granier of Les Vignes Oubliées—The Forgotten Vines.
In the mid-2000s, Jean-Baptiste and his then-mentor, the local luminary Olivier Jullien, drove through Saint-Privat in search of special vineyards that would lend themselves to progressive farming and winemaking practices, and of course wines full of character and beauty. Finally, they identified old parcels of pristine Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan whose increasingly low yields were growing at odds with the local coop’s high-yield business model. Jean-Baptiste and Olivier saw a thrilling opportunity, particularly given the vineyards’ terroir.
With vines planted in sandstone and schist at some of the highest elevations in the entire region, the conditions are ideal for producing a Terrasses du Larzac of formidable freshness, elegance, and purity. In this 2022 rouge, notes of coffee, spice, and dark fruit soar to their greatest possible heights.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2022 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Carignan |
Appellation: | Terrasses du Larzac |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Les Vignes Oubliées |
Winemaker: | Jean-Baptiste Granier |
Soil: | Schist, Sandstone, Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged 12-months in demi-muids and barriques |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
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About The Producer
Les Vignes Oubliées
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.
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!
Inspiring Thirst, page 117