Winemaker Notes
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.
Surrounded by the Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc-Montpeyroux is a small AOC (750 acres under vine) defined by its northerly location, windy weather, and clay-limestone soil. Approved for red wines only, the region’s vignerons (of which there are fewer than twenty) grow the great southern French grapes, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvédre, blending in Carignan and Cinsault as needed. Cooled by altitude and the winds off the Massif Central, the wines are fresh with acidity, ripe from the southern sun as well as, complex, meaty and deep. A gem of Languedoc wine waiting for the wider world to discover, Montpeyroux is a wine place you want to go!