SUD DE FRANCE
The South of France consists of the SOUTHERN RHONE VALLEY, Languedoc, Rousillon and the Côtes de Provence regions, producing plenty of good value French wine. We love this region especially for their quality to price ratio. Where else in France can you find a range of varietals from Albarino to Viognier!
$12 domaine la patience rouge ‘19 SOUTHERN RHONE (ORGANIC)
Merlot and Carignan from the Coteaux du Pont Gard in Nimes
$12 DOMAINE LA PATIENCE BLANC ‘19 SOUTHERN RHONE (ORGANIC)
A Fresh, clean blend of Chardonnay, Vermentino and Grenache Blanc.
$16 KERMIT LYNCH VAUCLUSE ROUGE, LANGUEDOC ‘19
Nearly forty years of doing business in France and Italy have given Kermit Lynch a level of expertise that few in the wine industry can boast. Countless hours with growers in some of the most famous vineyards and cellars of Europe have offered more than just a casual look at what it takes to be a great grower, let alone a great winemaker. Kermit Lynch was the first to champion the benefits of unfined and unfiltered wines, long before they had become fashionable. This belief is really a matter of taste, and the proof has always been in the glass, offering a purer expression of fruit and an unadulterated reflection of the terroir. Kermit’s conviction has been so strong over the years that he has been able to persuade even the most hard-headed vignerons to test his theories.
$16 kermit lynch vaucluse blanc, SOUTHERN RHONE '19
This VdP Blanc from Vaucluse in Southern France is a simple but satisfying blend of 50% Viognier and 50% Chardonnay produced by Domaine de Durban for importing legend Kermit Lynch. Soft texture with tropical fruit and golden apple notes balanced by pleasant underlying acidity.
$13 DOMAINE LA MANARINE “LE CARIGNAN” ‘19 SOUTHERN RHONE (ORGANIC)
A tiny parcel of old-vine Carignan owned by the folks at Domaine La Manarine of Cotes du Rhone fame, Fabulous juice.
$13 PAUL MAS CARIGNAN “VIEILLE VIGNES” LANGUEDOC ‘18
Le Carignan is sourced from a three-hectare parcel, “Le Alcyon”, located just outside of Travaillan. Gasq first produced a wine from these vines in 2014. After harvesting the grapes around the middle of September, they are destemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks for roughly 20 days before being aged on the fine lees for the better part of a year. Gasq prefers to pick Carignan on the early side of its maturity to preserve its vibrant natural acidity and avoid making a wine that is overly alcoholic. Generally, this cuvee weighs in at a modest 13.5% degree of alcohol and showcases a vibrant red fruit intensity, underscored by hints of wild herbs and earth.
$19 CHATEAU DE CIFFRE SAINT-CHINIAN, LANGUEDOC ‘17
$13 DOMAINE RIMBERT CHARDONNAY “BLANC Bio ” LANGUEDOC ‘20 (BIODYNAMIC)
Jean-Marie Rimbert, a native of Provence, arrived in the Languedoc nearly
25 years ago & managed the vineyards at Château de Flaugergues for 5
years until he saved up enough to purchase his first parcels of gnarled
ancient Carignan vines that had been nurtured in schist-laden soils for the
better part of the last century. Today, Domaine Rimbert is 20 hectares spread amongst 40 diverse parcels each with different soil compositions & expositions. The village of Berlou (where Jean-Marie has his Chai) has the highest elevation in all of the St. Chinian AOC & is the only place in the region that possesses Schist rich soils. From the beginning, his objective was to cultivate vineyards with the utmost respect for the environment & his wines reflect all of the natural beauty, depth & flavor from those vines. The wines Jean-Marie crafts are a passionate testament to this region's multidimensional & ever-expanding potential.
$18 DOMAINE MARIS VERMENTINO, LANGUEDOC ‘19 (ORGANIC)
Lot’s of mineral, beautiful notes of peach and a fleshy mid palate. Irresistible and a great aperitif wine.
$18 DOMAINE MARIS ROUGE, LANGUEDOC (ORGANIC)
Fresh with red fruit notes. Medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful purity and polished tannin. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
$25 Mas Des Agrunelles, Languedoc Nicot Blanc, LANGUEDOC ‘19(BIODYNAMIC)
Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Viognier
$25 Mas Des Agrunelles, Terrasses du Larzac L'indigène LANGUEDOC ‘19 (BIODYNAMIC)
Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah
$21 DOMAINE CABIRAU COTES DU ROUSSILLON ‘17
$17 DOMAINE FONSAINTE CORBIERES ‘18
60% Carignan, 30% Grenache Noir, 10% Syrah
$13 DOMAINE DE FENOUILLET VIN DE VAUCLUSE ‘19
This lovely “bargain” is a blend of the hybrid grape “Marsellan” and Merlot, a curious concoction that produces a silky wine redolent of red fruit mingled with “sous-bois”. The grapes are crushed, destemmed and then macerated and fermented for a week or so before being racked into cement cuve for six months before bottling.
$15 CINQUNATE CINQ VIOGNIER LANGUEDOC ‘20
$17 CHATEAU MASSIAC MINERVOIS LANGUEDOC, 17 (ORGANIC)
This is the most important wine of the estate, a serious red vinified to reflect its capacity to age. The grapes are harvested at a point of slight “surmaturité” which captures the profound scents and flavors of the surrounding hillside “garrigue”. The cuvaison continues for at least a month; then, the wine is racked into tank for aging. The wine is bottled twenty to twenty-four months after harvest. As the wine ages in bottle, it develops enticing notes of juniper, rosemary and thyme as well as the savory flavors of wild berries and a hint of the “animal”