Languedoc and Roussillon

Kim Marcus
Posted: August 31, 2008

The Languedoc is France's largest vineyard district and its winemaking frontier. The top wines of this region bordering the Mediterranean come from the diverse Coteaux du Languedoc appellation (literally, slopes of the Languedoc). It is home to distinctive and beautiful terroirs that are situated in upland areas where the hot Mediterranean climate is cooler and more moderate.

Because of the Languedoc's relative obscurity, there are many fine values available.

The Languedoc is often grouped with the neighboring and smaller appellation of Roussillon, which borders Spain. In addition to table wines, Roussillon also produces a range of sweet, dessert-style wines, mostly from the Banyuls and Rivesaltes districts.

Overall, I tasted 340 wines from both appellations over the past year, 49 of which scored an outstanding 90 points or higher on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale. The best wines are notable for their pure fruit flavors, minerally components and solid structures; they are good matches for a wide variety of meat- and fish-based cuisines.

Most of the bottlings in current release are from the 2005 and 2006 vintages, both of which delivered wines of high quality. The 2005 vintage saw some heavy summer rain, but the skies cleared for harvest. Languedoc and Roussillon escaped the damp, rainy conditions that hit many other French winegrowing regions in 2006.

The reds of both regions are based on grapes such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignane. The whites feature Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne, among others.

Two Coteaux du Languedoc subdistricts that have excelled in recent vintages are La Clape and Minervois. La Clape is located on a limestone plateau that rises above the Mediterranean near the city of Narbonne. One of the leading producers here is Mas du Soleilla. Its La Clape Clôt de l'Amandier 2006 is the top-scoring wine in this report (94 points), though pricey at $85 a bottle. It shows an intensity that is reminiscent of the big reds of the Northern Rhône, boding well for its long-term aging potential. Just a notch below in quality is the estate's La Clape Petit Mars 2005 (93, $29), an excellent value.

In Minervois, near the famed medieval walled city of Carcassonne, some of the best wines are coming from Isabel and Claude Fonquerle, who make a range of distinctive reds and whites. In 2005, they delivered two noteworthy red blends: the Minervois La Livinière L'Oustal Blanc 2005 (93, $47) and the Minervois L'Oustal Blanc Maestoso 2005 (93, $47). Old-vine fruit is a key component of both wines; up to 70-year-old vines in the case of the Grenache in the La Livinière bottling, which is the dominant grape variety in that blend.

Consistent value producers from the Languedoc include Domaine de Barroubio, Gérard Bertrand, Domaine La Croix Belle, Domaine Gayda, Domaine Magellan, Château Maris, Mas Belles Eaux, Mas des Dames, Domaine de Nizas and Château de Sérame.

Table wines from Roussillon can be powerful and deeply flavored. An excellent example is the Domaine Gardiés Cotes du Roussillon-Villages Tautavel VieillesVignes 2005 (92, $23), a pure-tasting and luscious blend of Grenache, Carignane, Syrah and Mourvèdre that features concentrated flavors of blackberry, dark plum and baker's chocolate followed by a spice-filled finish. Other top Roussillon producers to look for include Agly Brothers, Domaine du Mas Blanc, Domaine Cazes and Domaine Gauby.