2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non MutéAntoine-Marie Arena
France | Corsica
$57
Producers
For the most out-there cuvée of the three here, Vincent harvests Grenache Blanc and Gris late and allows the wine to undergo a long, slow fermentation. After two years of deliberate oxidation in barrel, he bottles it, capturing something similar to Vin Jaune or dry Sherry. With its aromas of toasted almonds and butterscotch, the resulting bone-dry wine is nothing short of enthralling. Serve it with Castelvetrano olives, a nutty cheese, or slices of your favorite cured ham for one of the most memorable pairings you’ll experience all winter.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | N.V. |
Bottle Size: | 500mL |
Blend: | 50% Grenache Blanc, 50% Grenache Gris |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Domaine La Tour Vieille |
Winemaker: | Vincent Cantié, Christine Campadieu |
Vineyard: | 35 to 75 years |
Soil: | Schist |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 16.5% |
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Banyuls
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Collioure
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Banyuls
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Collioure
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc Pic Saint Loup
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.
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Rivesaltes
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Banyuls
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Faugères
Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Gard
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Corbières
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Pic Saint Loup
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Vin de Pays d’Oc
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Languedoc
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
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