Domaine Famille Ligneres Le Signal 2003
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Blend: Carignan 80% , Grenache 10%, Syrah 5%, Mourvèdre 5%
In the 1920s, Louis Lignères delivered the domaine's wines with his Berliet barrel-carrier truck to the Pyrenees Mountains. His customers couldn't be impatient: it took him 22 hours at an average speed of 11km/h (6.8mph) to go from Alaric Mountain to Lourdes! And he announced his arrival with the Signal of the truck's characteristic horn.
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The Ligneres family's ties to the wine world can be traced back to the sixteenth century, but it was in 1957 that André and Suzette Ligneres bought the domaine. André's parents were from Moux and Fontcouverte, the two villages on either side of the estate and already had vineyards in both villages as well as a négociant business in Moux. Since then they have gradually expanded the domaine, acquiring the most attractive terroirs bordering on the estate, particularly Las Vals. Throughout this period the assistance of Marc Dubernet was invaluable in helping develop the domaine's wines.
In 2002, Richard Marlowe, an incredible wine-specialist and a faithful "fan" of Domaine Ligneres, organized a meeting with the renowned Tuscan wine consultant Stefano Chioccioli. He knew Stefano could understand their concept of "terroir", i.e. trying to produce wines with more of everything – weight, aroma, dimension, focus, varietal definition, and most importantly, allowing the terroir to shine through in every cuvee.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
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.