Grenache

A Mikulski and Dettori Dinner

March 5, 2011 By Shea Leave a Comment

Last night I joined my buddy Sean from Vinifico for a little wine geek camaraderie over food. The evening featured two exciting producers well loved by many in the ‘natural wine’ crowd – a fitting preview to the larger ‘natural wine’ tasting I will be attending tonight and writing up soon after.

Mikulski

The first wine – Francois Mikulski’s Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2005 – had a completeness and subtle exuberance that coupled the classic Meursault richness with more fruit expression. Mikulski (nephew to the famous producer Boillot), is a new entrant into Burgundy who leases all his land and is happy to mix modern techniques with tradition. That said, he uses an approach to vineyard management called La Lutte Raisonnee, which essentially only applies any treatments as a reaction to what is going on and for the most part never uses any preparations – rather, the focus is on microbial health and biodiversity in the vineyard. This approach is not as intensely fanatical as some so-called natural wine makers, but it is certainly producing outstanding results.

The wine’s delicious apple and lemon notes all got drawn together in a deep seem of minerality that really made this some exciting juice. I loved the wine because it wasn’t showy and didn’t really need to be – it was just really compelling and easy to drink. I was pretty amazed at how quickly we downed the bottle (along with some simply prepared scallops that I undercooked a little but still went really well with the wine), but that is surely the best indicator that a wine is seriously good. I’d rate this Excellent.

Dettori

The second wine – Dettori Tenores 2005 – was truly magnificent and very tasty with Sean’s boar prosciutto pizza. Pouring a hazy red, the sedimentation in this obviously unfiltered wine never settled but remained suspended in the wine for the duration of the evening. The sedminentation was completely unnoticeable when drinking however; and drink we did. The Tenores was a magnificent expression of Grenache, or Cannonau, as it is known in Sardinia, where this wine is from.

Allessandro Dettori is much more of an extremist than Mikulski, making wine at the whim of what the natural world gives him each year. He is decidedly non-interventionist in a real way, doing very little to the 100+ year old vines he tends. He tries very hard not to impose a particular philosophy on the wines he makes – but I am not so sure that is even possible with a man-made product such as wine. Non-intervention, in all its forms, is certainly a form of philosophy that translates into the wine. I do, however, always highly appreciate a respectful approach to agriculture, and Dettori is nothing but. All the wines are fermented in cement, an unconventional route for making the kind of serious Grenache based wines that he does – but the results speak for themselves.

The nose on the Tenores was so nuanced and floral I almost just wanted to smell the wine – luckily the urge to consume got the better of me. The palate had a gamey characteristic, but also very pretty ripe cherry fruit that was amazingly vibrant in a way I have never tasted in Grenache before. The wine also brought things down with earthy, rooty and mineral qualities that made me want to contemplate the wine endlessly as I was guzzling it. Its 16% alcohol was unnoticeable and the prettiness and lack of glyceral weight was all the more impressive for it. This is easily an Excellent+ wine for me – and perhaps the best Grenache I’ve ever had. Seek it out. Thanks to Sean for contributing the bottle.

Filed Under: Chardonnay, Excellent, French Wine, Grenache, Italian Wine

Spotlight on Languedoc-Roussillon: La Peira “Las Flors” 2005 Coteaux du Languedoc

January 3, 2011 By Shea Leave a Comment

Robert Parker is famous for turning back-water wineries into international superstars overnight, regardless of pedigree or old-school reputation. All that is needed are three simple digits. This has understandably made wine lovers wary of critical proselytizing and euphoria about the next great producer that you’ve never heard of.

But proper critical appraisal also requires an open mind to the contrary – massive scores for little known wineries should not in themselves negatively dictate a wine lover’s assessment of quality. While a pretence to objectivity has never sat well in my mind’s critical eye, an attempt at neutrality and open mindedness is surely essential.

La Peira seems to be one of the newest superstar winery discoveries for critics ranging from Robert Parker to Gary Veynerchuck to Andrew Jefford and Jancis Robinson. These critics have been raving about the outstanding quality from this new estate in the Coteaux du Languedoc’s “Terrasses du Larzac” climatic sub-region. Is all this hype substantiated? After a careful and open minded tasting of three of La Peira’s wines, I have to concur with the talking heads and recommend these wines as some of the best from the Languedoc.

The Winery

Begun in 2004, La Peira is the joint effort of winemaker Jérémie Depierre (a young vigneron who spent time at Château Margaux and Château Guiraud), Karine Ahton (a lawyer from the Languedoc), and Rob Dougan (a writer/composer of music). This is a quality first operation: low yields, hand picking, meticulous attention to detail in the vineyard and in the cellar. La Peira does not rack, does not fine or filter and thus they rely on meticulous work in the vineyard to ensure fruit of impeccable quality. La Peira does not use chemicals in the vineyard and in fact works the soil by hand rather than by machine.

The limestone and gravel soils date from the Late Jurassic period and are home to 10-40 year old vines planted of the varieties Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Roussanne, Cinsault, and Carignan.

The Terrasses du Larzac

The Terrasses du Larzac, a relatively new sub-regional “climat” in the Coteaux du Languedoc, also sits at one of the highest elevations in the entire region. Wines from the Terrasses are known to be both intense and wild.

These are the most northerly vineyards in Languedoc-Roussillon and sit well back from the sea, thus limiting the temperature moderating effects of the Mediterranean. Thus, summers are longer and warmer than average and winters can be quite cold here. The average rainfall is a fair amount higher than the rest of the Languedoc.

Andrew Jefford has called the Terrasses du Larzac the potentially greatest region in the entire Languedoc-Roussillon. Big words.

The Wine

There was a fair amount of oak on the nose, but still it smells fresh with its plummy notes and baking spices. Once again, the wine is fairly oaky on the palate, but is also very well balanced for this style.

Right now, it seems that the oak is a little too pronounced, but this is smooth and long in the mouth and has tremendous potential. As for flavour, baking spices, plums, and toast intermingle quite deliciously. The 14.5% alcohol is well integrated, but does give the wine a fair amount of weight, which is quite impressive considering the freshness.

Thus far, the wine has yet to come into its own and needs more time in the bottle to develop structure and nuance. I do, however, think it has quite a bit of potential. This is not to say that I am not excited about La Peira, I am. But it was another of their wines – to come – that really opened my eyes. The Las Flors is a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah.

Very Good+
$50 at Marquis

Filed Under: $40-$60, French Wine, Grenache, Languedoc-Roussillon, Mourvedre, Syrah, Very Good

Spotlight on Languedoc-Roussillon: Chateau de la Negly “La Falaise” Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape 2006

December 19, 2010 By Shea Leave a Comment

As I finally move into the Languedoc I am happy to begin with Chateau Negly, perhaps the most well recognized and important producers in the Languedoc. But Negly’s importance comes less with its family traditions and more with its recognition by American media, which has helped to put both the winery and the region on the map. While Negly’s top cuvees are often criticized as behemoth over-extracted wines, this mid-range wine from the estate seems unrelated to such criticism.

The Terroirs of the Coteaux du Languedoc

While the Coteaux du Languedoc is the most diverse AOC in the region, the La Clape sub-region is a perfect place to start as it was the most important vineyard in the Languedoc in the Roman period. The Romans saved the wines made in La Clape to be shipped back to Rome (always a sign of the higher quality). Interestingly, La Clape used to be an island until the sea receded and connected it with the mainland. This separation still exists, however, with its unique micro-climate, which is one of the driest in the Coteaux du Languedoc. Today La Clape is at a higher elevation than the plains on which most vines are grown and it is the sea-mists that keep the moisture in the air in this region and the craggly outcrops of rock interspersed with garrigue and vines that give it its unique visual character. As is consistent in the region, the higher elevation helps to brings the wines made in La Clape greater complexity.

The Coteaux du Languedoc AOC has been divided to reflect the uniqueness of place, whether this be “terroir” in the soil and site sense or climate. La Clape is one of the 8 “Climats” of the region because of the unique lack of rainfall that I discussed above. There are also 9 “terroirs” in the AOC. It is understandable how all of this can become very confusing, which may prompt some to concentrate on finding good producers rather than buying by sub-region. However, there is also some interest in exploring the diversity that is available in the Coteaux du Languedoc, which as a microcosm reflects the diversity of wines available in the Languedoc-Roussillon.

Negly’s Winemaking

The “Cuvée de la Falaise” is Negly’s mid level cuvee and is produced from a 15 hectare portion of Negly’s 40 hectare vineyard. La Falaise means “Cliff” in French and the vineyard is a literal stones-throw from the Mediterranean. Everything is hand harvested and sees a week long cold soak and a 45 day macerated fermentation. Aged 12 months in half new and half 300 litre oak barrels.

Modern Wine with a Sense of Place

The nose suggests smoked meat and spices and is quite expressive and evocative. There is a briney quality to the wine, which contrasts nicely with its svelte texture. I find La Falaise to be very well balanced and very long. In fact, I think this quality level of wine would cost $70-80 if from the Northern Rhone.

Like many wines from Languedoc-Roussillon this marries elegance with great depth of flavour. I also appreciate that the fruit is very cool toned, which allows all the other amazing characteristics to come through – I would imagine this has a reasonable amount of Syrah and maybe some Mourvedre as well. With air, I noted Grenache characteristics coming through with sweeter cherry fruit. After checking online, I found out this wine is 55% Grenache and 45% Syrah, which is quite fascinating as I think the Grenache elements are subdued at this stage in the wine’s development.

Amazingly this wine is 15% ABV but it is so balanced it tastes more like 14%, which is a remarkable achievement in itself. This wonderful wine again proves the Languedoc marries elegance and power and can make world class wines for entirely reasonable prices.

Excellent
$43 at Marquis (Also, recently this was on an amazing special marked down from $25 to $10 at K&L in San Francisco)

Filed Under: $40-$60, Excellent, French Wine, Grenache, Languedoc-Roussillon, Syrah

Spotlight on Languedoc-Roussillon: Domaine Canet-Valette Saint-Chinian “Maghani” 2004

December 2, 2010 By Shea Leave a Comment

Today’s wine is an altogether different creature than the Minervois I looked at a few days ago. It is also a great showcase for different trends in the modern leaders of Languedoc-Roussillon. On the one hand there are those contemporary wine makers who go for elegance, finesse and a more transparent sense of terroir. On the other hand, there are those who push for power, opulence and concentration. Two things I find common between both groups in the region are cleanliness and expressivity.

Monastic Origins

Saint-Chinian began as the labour of a monk named Anian and his bretheren who first saw the potential for agriculture in the region. Amongst other things, Anian helped to plant the first vines in the 9th century – meaning that St. Chinian is one of the older planted regions in the south of France. Anian was eventually canonized into a saint. Time and linguistic changes transformed Saint Anian (pronounced Sainch Anian in old French) into Saint Chinian.

Saint-Chinian’s Terroir

The terroirs of Saint-Chinian divide into two main categories: (1) schist and (2) chalk subsoils left by a prehistoric receding sea. Stylistically, this has tended to produce both a rounder and more elegance style and a harder, intensely fruity style. Wild orange trees and strawberry trees cover the region. The region is north of Minervois and just south of Faugeres.

Full Throttle Wine with Balance

Marc Valette, winemaker for Domaine Canet-Valette is a full-throttle wine maker. He explicitly goes for the highest alcohol possible in his wines, which fortunately for us, is only around 14-15%. While high, this is nowhere near as high as the most extreme North American examples.

This is a full-throttle wine, make no mistake. However, it retains an eminent drinkability and focus that eludes most North American attempts at this style of wine. When you drink it you will find leather, herbs, garrigue, meat, licorice and plum on the nose, which reminded me somewhat of the southern Rhone (this too is a blend of Grenache and Syrah), but with more elegance. Those same flavours persist on the palate, which is heavily tannic but also both supple and bold, with a good core of acidity – and, therefore, balance. A masterful use of barrel aging – and a very good price for the level this wine is at. This is a wine that will benefit from age but drinks well now with the right food.

Very Good+ to Excellent
$50 at Marquis

Filed Under: $40-$60, French Wine, Grenache, Languedoc-Roussillon, Syrah, Very Good

Spotlight on Languedoc-Roussillon: Vignoble de Loup Blanc “La Mere Grand” 2004 Minervois

November 28, 2010 By Shea 2 Comments

Minervois is one of the best known regions in all of the Languedoc-Roussillon, and still most people have never heard of it. Sitting about 50 miles north of Roussillon, the appellation, despite its relatively small size, has a varied range of soils and climates, from pebbles and sandstone to schist, chalk and white marble. Wind is important here, and its direction can determine the success of a particular vintage (rain vs. cool and dry). Thus, it can be hard to pin down a single style that is common to the entire region.

Increasing Quality and New Ventures

Despite the variation, one commonality is that the best wines manage to provide elegance and lightness that is uncommon in the southern parts of Languedoc-Roussillon. Allowed yields have declined twice since the 80’s and quality has increased accordingly. Vignoble de Loup Blanc is a relatively new winery, started about a decade ago by a Frenchman and a Quebecois sommelier.

Several grape varieties are grown in Minervois, but this cuvee from Le Loup Blanc combines 60% Grenache with 15% Carignan and 25% Syrah. The vines range from 20-100 years, with the Carignan vines being most likely the oldest as is common in the region. It also has a 15-20 day fermentation and 20 months elevage in oak.

Brooding Flavours in an Elegant Package

This is outstanding wine for the price and offers great elegance and acidic lift compared to many wines from Southern France. Fresh, and very clean this wine also has a pert texture and wonderful aromatics of herbs, sweet plumy fruit and tremendous minerality. The palate is dry, however, and the fruit is properly balanced with the secondary characteristics so that nothing seems over ripe or over the top. Balance, poise, and power – a great combination, particularly at this price point.

Very Good+ to Excellent
$30 at Marquis

Filed Under: $20-$30, Carignan, French Wine, Grenache, Languedoc-Roussillon, Syrah, Very Good

Spotlight on Languedoc-Roussillon: Clot de L’Oum La Compagnie des Papillons 2005

November 7, 2010 By Shea 3 Comments

If Roussillon is sometimes known for overtly heady, viscous wines, then the Clot de L’oum would speak of a different place. This is a wine that conspires to offer the drinker more than what they bargained for with 60-year old vines, organic viticulture and solid terroir.

Biodiversity in Roussillon

Situated on the Maury river in Roussillon, Clot de L’Oum is a winery that loves what it does and where it does it (if you read French, check out their fantastic blog). Not only do these guys love what they do, but they actually went about revitalizing the land on which they grow their grapes. Ten years ago, the only visible organisms on the land were two worms every 2 hectares. After moving the domaine to biodynamic principles and stopping all the pesticide and herbicide use in the vineyard, so much life returned to the vineyard that they named their red wine after the butterflies who came back after a decade away.

Of course, it’s important to keep all this in perspective – the agricultural idyll is far fetched on a global scale. However, important lessons remain. Certain methods can bring life back to a place and restore biodiversity. Small, dedicated producers who sell to a wealthy clientele are particularly well suited to this paradigm. That said, these wines are not priced in the stratosphere like many of their prestige counterparts (at least not yet), and are thereby offering outstanding value for the quality of what’s in the bottle.

Will this trend to comparatively moderately priced wines made with methods that respect biodiversity remain sustainable as critics like James Suckling from the Wine Spectator start to get interested in biodynamics and ‘natural’ producers? Practically speaking, will these wines ever be accessible to the average person? These are tough questions.

A Wine of Weight and Clarity

That said, this is an excellent and brooding wine with black cherry and licorice aromatics and cherry and licorice richness married to a herbal and stoney secondary backbone on the palate. This has very nice balance, is a clean and expressive wine and is big and full flavoured without being heavy – perhaps something to do with the 60+ year old vines grown on gneiss and schist soils. A blend of Carignan and Grenache, with a touch of Syrah.

Very Good to Very Good+
~$35 at Kitsilano Wine Cellar and occasionally on the list at L’Abattoir

Filed Under: $30-$40, Carignan, French Wine, Grenache, Languedoc-Roussillon, Very Good

Les Pallieres ‘Les Racines’ Gigondas 2007

June 23, 2010 By Shea 4 Comments

Les Pallieres is one of the most dependable names in Gigondas. After many years in the hands of a single family, in 1998 it was purchased by the famous importer Kermit Lynch and the Brunier family of Vieux Telegraph. This is a wine that consistently brings both great depth of flavour and balance to the table, which is something that cannot be said of all wines from the Southern Rhone, particularly these days.

This particular bottle is also part of the story that is the 2007 vintage in the Southern Rhone, which Robert Parker, amongst others, has hailed as the best ever, or something like that. I’ve heard concerns that the wines are over extracted, terse, etc. But, if I’ve learned anything in my voyage through wine, opinions about vintage mean nothing outside of the particular context of site and producer. Great producers are those you follow through the good years and the bad – they make the sort of wine that is worth trying no matter what. For me, Les Pallieres is one of those wineries. The ‘Racines’ is made from a parcel of 60+ year vines and likely saw stem inclusion. The wine is a blend of 80% Grenache, 8% Syrah, 7% Cinsaut and 5% Clairette.

Combining a great producer with what is supposed to be a great year, it is easy to understand why this is such an incredibly balanced wine. In fact, I would go as far to say that this is the most balanced Gigondas that I have ever tasted. There is both tremendous flavour here, but also pert acidity and great expressivity. The flavours are all classic Pallieres – licorice, underbrush, cherry, violets – but there is greater depth and intensity than usual. This is also in no way over extracted or overly rich: it is, in fact, very fresh. It is important not to forget the minerals and earth that guide all the fruit and provide great interest to the mid-palate and finish. This is probably the best Pallieres I’ve ever tasted, and that’s saying a lot given it is one of my favourite wines from the Southern Rhone.

Excellent
$40 at Marquis

Filed Under: $30-$40, Excellent, French Wine, Grenache

Spotlight on Spain: Torres Grans Muralles 2001

March 23, 2010 By Shea Leave a Comment

Torres is one of the most important wine makers in Spain, having introduced many modern varieties to Penedes and having brought international grapes and an international style to South America (Torres has a notable winery in Chile) when World War II shut off access to European markets. Torres was also, amazingly, a pioneer in bottling his own wines, which helped him to take control of his own branding, which accordingly resulted in some serious market penetration in the North and South American markets.

Torres’ range of wines is truly eclectic and comprehensive, ranging from good value blends of indigenous grapes, to single varietal bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and high end single vineyard field blends of indigenous grapes.

Catalonia as a region has seen some serious change starting from the 1950s, prior to which it originally made oxidized wines known as rancios and vinos de licor. Now, with Torres being a prime influence, Catalonia is making a huge range of wines, from ‘traditional’ to modern, using indigenous and international grapes and from large volume to small artisanal producers. Catalonia is truly a mash up of Spain’s schizophrenia.

This bottling is made with grapes grown in Conca de Barbera, a region just west of Penedes (where Torres is headquartered). Conca de Barbera is known mostly for producing high quality grapes for Cava producers. Soils here are chalky, alluvial ones over limestone bedrock. The region is sheltered by surrounding mountain ranges and produces wines mostly in a modern style, many from international grapes such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This wine, however, is not made with international grapes nor is it made in a cheap quaffing style like Cava. This is another beast. A blend of Monastrell, Garnacha Tinta, Garro, Samso, and Carinena, the Grans Muralles is an extremely unique sort of wine made from a single vineyard of the same name. The vineyard is 94 hectares, and 32 of these are dedicated to producing this wine. While the soils in this vineyard are slate and gravel, perhaps the most interesting part of the wine here are the indigenous grapes: Garro being a traditional Catalan grape that nearly disappeared, and the strange Samso, which according to Torres has an “intense pigment, good body and a magnificent structure.” Of course, the other three grapes are also indigenous to Spain, although have since spread internationally.

Putting glass to nose exposes bread, cherry, blackberry and deep scented violets. This is really pleasant and intriguing to smell. The palate was fantastic, with a quite soft and silky structure, lots of earth, underbrush and herbs, and a nice cherry and blackberry fruit presence. The wine is also very floral, and it is this wonderful aromatic component that is so enticing. I might describe this as a cross between a modern Rioja, a classic Bordeaux, and a bracing Southern Rhone/Languedoc wine – really an intriguing and lovely combination. I think wines like this are the exact sort of wines that make Spain exciting and that are a model of how a large producer can and should be a champion of the history and tradition of their region, not only keeping the indigenous grapes alive, but showing their full potential.

Excellent
$90 at BCLDB

Filed Under: $60+, Carignan, Excellent, Garro, Grenache, Monastrell, Samso, Spain, Spanish Wine, Spotlights

Spotlight on Spain: Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rosado 1993

March 22, 2010 By Shea 2 Comments

Today’s entry, the last of the Rioja wines in my Spain profile, is somewhat of a genre-buster. As I’ve mentioned before, Rioja (and Spain generally) has a disparate and noncontiguous history, with Romans, multiple Christian kingdoms, Muslim invasion and the Reconquista, not to mention the civil war, the dictatorship and the process towards modern Spain. Each of these ‘eras’ has had a distinct impact on the Spanish wine industry. Whereas the Romans brought modern Roman wine-making technology and techniques to Spain in the 3rd century, the multiple Christian kingdoms brought their wealth and appetite for fine wine 1000 years later.

I don’t want to rehash Spain’s complex history here, suffice it to say that in Spain almost nothing fits a particular ‘genre’ or a particularly clear pattern or mold. This has provided the industry both a wealth of diversity, but also somewhat of a lack of clearly discernable personality. In many ways, this means that in Spain it makes more sense to approach a wine in a bit of a microcosm, looking at the history and tradition of that particular producer and that particular plot of land. Thus does the easy to say tradition vs. modernity debate in Spain actually become a series of threads that each sew together completely different histories and traditions into particular conceptions of the ‘modern’.

So, when it comes to legendary producer Lopez de Heredia, a winery sewn far more tightly into Rioja 100 years ago than into the present, and Rose, a style of wine commonly associated with light, fruity, easy drinking, you know that this particular meeting of tradition and modernity will be anything but easily pigeonholed.

Lopez de Heredia's Tondonia Vineyards in Winter

First off, Heredia, founded in 1877, harvests and selects all grapes by hand, uses wild yeasts and ferments in huge oak vats with a capacity of 240 hectolitres for the reds and 60 Hl’s for the whites. One might also take notice at the vast use of American oak barrels – 14,000 at last count – occupying 6000 square metres of cellar space. Heredia combines extended oak aging with considerable bottle aging before release to produce wines of singularity. I, for one, have never tasted any other wines quite like those from Lopez de Heredia.

So how do these threads of tradition and history combine to create what some consider to be Rioja’s most important pink wine? Well first off, the Rose is made from tempranillo, garnacha and viura (a white grape), in an intriguing blend that is very very dry, but also maintains some of the classic bright red fruit character one usually associates with the pink stuff. But that’s pretty much where the similarity ends. Remember, this wine is almost 17 years old! The rich and ripe cherry fruit on the nose becomes a terse and somewhat aggressive oxidative palate that yet retains persistence and elegance beyond any Rose you are likely to have tried. The combination of fruit and sherry-like oxidation makes this wine eminently food-worthy – pizza, jamon, almost anything at all, really.

That Spain can produce wines of such uniqueness next to modern fruit driven reds, bright and clean seafood friendly whites and smooth and silky earth driven classic wines is the embodiment of Spain’s tumultuous and non-linear history. The past several posts on Rioja are just such an indication of this complexity, as even this one famous region is nearly impossible to pin-down. In the next several posts I will be highlighting some of the lesser known regions and grapes of Spain, each with their own stories and traditions, and each with a particular take on why Spanish wine is a force any serious wine lover cannot ignore.

Very Good+ to Excellent
$45 at Kitsilano Wine Cellar

Filed Under: $40-$60, Grenache, Spain, Spanish Wine, Spotlights, Tempranillo, Very Good, Viura

Domaine Gauby Cotes de Roussillon Villages Vieilles Vignes 2004

December 23, 2009 By Shea Leave a Comment

It seems that this Christmas week is a Languedoc week. Technically the Cotes du Roussillon is distinct from the Languedoc, although traditionally grouped in together with it. This grouping reflects that despite the distinct AOCs there is actually quite similar ‘terroir’, or soil and climate conditions, in the two regions, with schist predominating, with bits of gneiss, granite and limestone. However, Roussillon is further south than the Languedoc (or more specifically, the Corbieres sub-region), and borders with Spain right on the Mediterranean.

Domaine Gauby is a 32 hectare biodynamic domaine, and is brought into BC by Farmstead Wines. Yields are low, and harvesting is done by hand at this estate. And, as with all biodynamic estates, this has natural (wild) yeasts and minimum sulpher dioxide. Apparently, Domaine Gauby has eased back on the level of extract in the last few years and aimed at producing more balanced wines. I think they’ve achieved that goal.

This wine, a field blend of many red grape varieties, is very expressive and clear, with a nose of baked earth, tons of bright and pretty red berry fruit, violets, and a hard stony edge. Really, this is an impressive nose, especially at this price point. The palate is also very soft, with tons of bright red fruit and acid – raspberry and strawberry come to mind. Additionally, this is incredibly mineral and stone driven while being exceptionally expressive, soft and pure. With impeccable structure, this is a very impressive wine and an amazing value for the quality. A terroir driven red if I’ve ever tasted one, but with a modern edge. The Languedoc is showing well this Christmas season!

Excellent
$35 at Kitsilano Wine Cellars

Filed Under: $30-$40, Carignan, Cinsault, Excellent, French Wine, Grenache, Syrah