Category: Wine of The Day

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2017 Mas Champart Pay D’Oc

The small winery, Mas Champart, was one of the first wineries to put the hillside town of Saint Chinian on the map far and wide. The region, which is both full of fertile flatlands and rolling hills is just southwest of Bezier on the way towards the regions of Minervois, Corbieres and Fitou.

Producers like Rimbert, Fonsalade and Canet-Vallet, as well as Champart, produce lovingly made, long living wines.

While most of the wine coming from the town is AOC approved grape focused, for years Mas Champart has made a small batch of an exquisite and very interesting Pays d’Oc red from a combination of Cabernet Franc, Carignan and Syrah. But in 2017 the story goes, they decided to make the wine with mostly the Cabernet Franc grape while still keeping a bit of the old vine Carignan in the final blend.

The 2017 Mas Champart Pays D’Oc is a peppery, silky, red cherry and blackberry scented and flavored red. It drinks like a Loire red that has met the Rhone Valley. 

Enjoyable now, or in ten years time, this is a stellar example of what the wines of Mas Champart can be like. 

And that’s why, the 2017 Mas Champart Pays D’Oc is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

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2015 Clot de L’Oum Le Clot

There are some wineries that are in the category of “cult” favorites and hidden gems. And while many of those wines carry ridiculously high prices, others are fairly priced, drink better, and are known by wine insiders to be magic in the glass.

That’s the wines from the small production, all organic Roussillion winery Clot de L’Oum, which is nestled about 30 minutes north of Perpignan, just between the villages of Belesta and Mortner.  Like so many wineries in their part of Occitaine, Clot de L’Oum hand crafts exquisite wines, that are of a super premium quality, have trememdous aging capability and drink well beyond their price points.

The 2015 Clot de L’Oum Le Clot is one of those examples as it brings those qualities to the forefront. Made from 100 percent Syrah that has been picked from dry farmed small parcels, the Le Clot is all blueberries and black pepper from start to finish. It’s a rich wine that screams for grilled beef, lamb or duck, but is silky enough to be enjoyed with some sharp cheddar or creamy blue cheese.

A wine like the 2015 Clot de L’Oum Le Clot is a delight in the glass, and that’s why it’s today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

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2017 Mas Baux Autant en Emporte Le Blanc

Part of the joy of being in wine regions for any type of extended period is the fun of meeting new producers. Yesterday I met up with Serge and Marie Pierre of Mas Baux, visiting their gorgeous terrace topping vineyard outside the town Canet Roussillion, just south of Perpignan, on the road to Collioure.

While it would be easy to pick from many of their delighful and fruit rich reds and crisp rose, the nod has to go to their 2017 Mas Baux Autant en Emporte Le Blanc.

I’ve always been a fan of Grenache Gris in a wine, starting with the L’Argile from Domaine de La Rectorie from their vineyards outside of Collioure, and then a few others along the way. But it was the skillful, artful execution of vinification of the grape, combined with perfectly ripened Grenache Blanc makes this wine such a winner.

Well balanced, and a bit smokey, there’s a rich lime, kiwi, white peach and green apple taste to the wine. The finish is dazzling and downright stunning. 

Sadly none of the Mas Baux wines make it to the USA, yet, and only 1800 bottles were made. So if you find yourself seeing a bottle of the of it, buy it without hesitation. 

That’s why, the 2017 Mas Baux Autant en Emporte Le Blanc is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

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2018 TATSIMA Rouge

What is they say about wanting what you can’t yet have? 

That’s the feeling surrounding the brand spanking new 2018 TATSIMA from Jullian Ditte’s Amistat winery from just outside of Perpignan.

Ditte, who may be one of the best undiscovered winemakers in the Roussillion, has turned out a masterpiece of winemaking, with the right proportions of Grenache and other red grapes in a wine that is simply delicious.

With the weight of a fine Burgundy, the power of a Chateauneuf du Pape and the elegance of a fine Barolo, the red wine made in his tiny facility is without question his finest red release to date.

That’s why the Amistat 2018 Tastsima is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day

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2018 Chateau Trinquevedel Rose Tavel

The 2018 Rose wines from France are showing up on the shores of the USA, or in the case of some,  just hitting the water. Having had the opportunity to taste through many of the wines from Tavel and elsewhere the past few weeks has told me two things. There will be lots of Rose on store shelves. And all Rose is not created equal.

Thankfully, the 2018 Chateau Trinquevedel Tavel from the west side of the Rhone, always a favorite, picks up from where the 2017 left off.  Loaded with springtime flower aromas and strawberry patch bouquet, the wine is rich, ripe and yet still dry, without any residual sweetneess, while still being fruity.

The blend of Grenache 60% Cinsault 10% Clairette 13% Syrah 13% Mourvèdre 3% and Bourboulenc 1% has a rich, long, lingering red berry and spice finish, that makes this a serious food wine, as much as it can be a summer poolside sipper or nightly wind down wine.

That’s why the 2018 Chateau Trinquevedel Tavel Rose is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

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2016 Mas Conscience L’In Blanc Coteaux du Languedoc

Along the road to Montpeyroux, somewhere between the town of Montpeyroux and the wine village of Aniane sits the village of Saint Jean des Fos. And, along the Herault River, just to the west of town, sits the winery of Mas Conscience.

As a long time vistor to the area, it was wine hunter Bernard Bardou who first brought the small winery to my attention a few years ago. Back then, Bardou remarked as we were having lunch in Montpellier, that Conscience was one of the up and coming “new” producers in a region best known for the long established producers like D’Aupilhac, Gassac and Chabernon.

The Mas Conscience winery makes nine wines of incredible local character. Being between Montpeyroux and Aniane the style of the wines are of neither village, and instead have a style of their own.

The 2016 Mas Conscience L’n is a charmer. Light and lively, it’s made from a blend of Grenache blanc, Vermentino, Roussanne and Viognier, the wine is not Rhone at all, but totally Languedoc in style.

Rich lime flavors from the Grenache blanc picked from vineyard on the side of the quartz based riverbed melds joyously with the peach like flavors from the Roussanne. The light honeysuckle flavor from the Viognier and the dryness of the Vermenino, add a nice counterpoint to the vibrant fruit, making this wine so easy to drink.

That’s why, the 2016 Mas Conscience L’in is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

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2016 Domaine de Cebene Belle Lurette Faugeres

Rarely does a wine come across to carry the claim that it’s the best ever from a region. But that’s what the latest release from Domaine de Cebene is like from first to last sip.

The mostly all Carignan 2016 Cebene Belle Lurette from the Faugeres region in France’s Languedoc-Roussillion, comes across as the smoothest, sexiest and freshest youthful wine of its type ever produced by Brigitte Chevalier, or perhaps by any winery in Faugueres. The addition of Mourvedre, which grows very well in Faugeres, like it does in Bandol, and some old vine Grenache, gives the Belle Lurette an enchanting, almost ethereal flavor that lingers and lingers for up to 30 seconds.

While obviously tasting youthful, the mix of 70 year to some century aged Carignan vines are clearly at play, as the intensity of the fruit, the blending of the sage and rosemary aromas from the garrigue and the lack of oak has made the wine both very ageworthy and drink now friendly.

While black fruit flavors are most evident as the black raspberry, blackberry and black cherry tastes all come through, there’s also a healthy dose of red plums, some black tar and slate going on. This is a gem of a wine, and worth seeking out.

That’s why, the 2016 Cebene Belle Lurette Faugeres is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

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2018 L’Ormarine Carte Noire Picpoul de Pinet

The Cave Ormarine is in the town of Picpoul, just north of Bezier, west of Sete and next to Meze.  The region is oyster country, as the oyster beds are a stone’s throw from each of those coastal towns. 

And like dining on a plate of those just out of the water salty oysters, so fresh is the taste of the 2018 L’Ormarine Carte Noire Picpoul de Pinet. Beyond being the town name, the grape in the wine is also Pipoul, one of the 13 grapes permitted in Chateauneuf du Pape.

As it has been for centuries, Picpoul de Pinet is one of those white wines that has a romance with oysters, much like a dry Alsatian Riesling, crisp Chablis from Burgundy or a racy Sancerre from the Loire.

While the Picpoul grape lacks the expressive bouquet of those wines, what it gives up in aromatics, it makes up in lightness of weight and its delicate balance of lemon, lime and kiwi flavors, and the soft mineral notes.

A perfect summer sipper, and an enjoyable wine to start the meal, are all good reasons why the 2018 L’Ormarine Carte Noire Picpoul de Pinet is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day.

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2017 Francois Villard Le Gallet Blanc Cote Rotie

Cote Rotie, the often sought after, elusive, small production region of the Northern Rhone has many charmers. Some are made from older vineyards, and some are made from “younger” plots of 20 or so years old.

The latter is what defines the 2017 Francois Villard Le Gallet Blanc Cote Rotie.

The Gallet Blanc has it all. Bacon fat, blueberry, black pepper and so good now. It’s got great palate weight, super length, is elegant and totally fruit driven.

That’s why the the 2017 Francois Villard Le Gallet Blanc Cote Rotie is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!

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2016 Chateau Unang La Source Ventoux

Sometimes wines just fly under the radar and need to be better known. That’s the case with the  Chateau Unang and their 2016 La Source red from the rapidly rising Ventoux wine region in France. On the 9th century historic property, James and Joanna King produce wines of tremendous character amongst the breathtaking view based winery on the side of Mount Ventoux.

The 2016 Chateau Unang  La Source is a wine of grace, power, sophistication, flavor, style, spice and gobs of red fruit, all encased in a velvety finish.  Completely hand-harvested off of a vineyard that dates back centuries, the Syrah led blend includes Grenache and Cinsault, delivering a powerful Ventoux experience like few others.

Tastes of blackberries, blueberries, white pepper and spice, backed by hints of violets and some ripened raspberries and strawberries all come across in the flavor the wine. This is a serious dinner wine, and capable of standing up to more popular wines from the Gigondas’ Domaine du Cayron or the Maury region of the Roussillon’s Clos des Fees.

That’s why the 2016 Chateau Unang La Source Ventoux is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of The Day!!!