Cave de Roquebrun Terrasses du Frigoulet 2011
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Wine Spectator
A big red, powerful and concentrated, with mulberry, dark plum, blackberry and baked cherry flavors which feature notes of bacon fat and smoke. Dark chocolate pervades the muscular finish. Drink now through 2018. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
Cave de Roquebrun, created in 1967, is located in the Haut Languedoc Regional Park, 30 km north of Béziers between the two regional capitals Montpellier and Toulouse. The village of Roquebrun benefits from an exceptional microclimate allowing the cultivation of orange trees, lemon trees, mandarin trees in the open ground, which produce a citrus crop for local consumption.
This very mild, but relatively arid climate, associated with the acidic soils of schists, allow a particular development of the different grape varieties of the Saint-Chinian appellation, notably Carignan, ancestral grape variety which claims its place in the arid hillsides, as well as the Grenache, also present for a long time. Syrah and Mourvèdre, for other types of implantation, exploding their aromatic potential for the development of products of recognized quality and typicity.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
An extensive appellation producing a diverse selection of good quality and great values, Languedoc spans the Mediterranean coast from the Pyrenees mountains of Roussillon all the way to the Rhône Valley. Languedoc’s terrain is generally flat coastal plains, with a warm Mediterranean climate and frequent risk of drought.
Virtually every style of wine is made in this expansive region. Most dry wines are blends with varietal choice strongly influenced by the neighboring Rhône Valley. For reds and rosés, the primary grapes include Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. White varieties include Grenache Blanc, Muscat, Ugni Blanc, Vermentino, Macabéo, Clairette, Piquepoul and Bourbelenc.
International varieties are also planted in large numbers here, in particular Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The key region for sparkling wines here is Limoux, where Blanquette de Limoux is believed to have been the first sparkling wine made in France, even before Champagne. Crémant de Limoux is produced in a more modern style.