Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The single vineyard 2011 Minervois La Touge is a smoking effort that gives up perfumed kirsch, toasted spice and licorice aromas and flavors in a medium to full-bodied, voluptuous and textured package. It has a great mid-palate, loads of fruit and a beautifully balanced, layered feel. It will have 8-10 years of ultimate longevity.
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Wine & Spirits
Mainly syrah with 15 percent grenache, fermented in a combination of oak foudres and cement, this is firm and dark, a little wild in the sweet-tart punch of its blackberry flavors. The tannins give it a gravelly grip, suited to a roast leg of lamb.
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.