WTN /Wine Advisor: Fine value red from Languedoc

[Robin Garr]

Fine value red from Languedoc

We won't dip quite as far down the food chain today as Monday's $8 Chianti, but this Grenache-based red from the Languedoc represents another fine bargain.

The Languedoc, as we've discussed before, could be described as the "other half" of Provence - it extends along France's Mediterranean coast from the mouth of the Rhone River west to Spain - mirroring Provence's stretch eastward from the Rhone to the boundary with Italy. Languedoc incorporates the cities of Montpellier and Toulouse and the lovely medieval village Carcassonne, among others, taking in seacoast, fields and mountains.

You'll find just about all the same familiar wine grapes in Languedoc as you do in Provence and the Southern Rhone: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and a few others in the reds; Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier and more in the whites.

As a curious aside, the region takes its odd name from "Langue d'Oc," which means something along the lines of "The language of 'Oc'," the word for "yes" in Occitan, the ancient language of the region, a fact that bemused the more northerly French who said "Oui."

Within most of our lifetimes, Languedoc was lightly regarded by wine enthusiasts because, much like California's agricultural Central Valley, it was primarily a source of high-production, hot-weather grapes used to make inexpensive table wines that were modest in quality at best.

But like much of the rest of the wine world, individual Languedoc producers have moved upscale in recent years. While the region still may lack the cachet of Burgundy or Bordeaux, many Languedoc wines - particularly artisanal and estate-bottled production - command respect around the world of wine.

I'm ready to say "Oc!" about today's featured wine, a blend of 80 percent Grenache and 20 percent Mourvèdre from the Coteaux du Languedoc, the hillsides north of Montpellier, a nicely balanced and hearty red and a very good bargain at just a buck or two north of $10.

Montpezat 2005 Coteaux du Languedoc Palombières ($11.99)

Very dark garnet, with reddish-violet glints. A typical regional chateau-bottled blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, it offers light raspberry scent and a hint of fresh green herbs, maybe tarragon and thyme if I had to single them out (but I'd prefer not to have to give this answer on a test). Mouth-filling, tart and softly tannic, red fruit and crisp, food-friendly acidity wrap up a simple but attractive package that carries its rather hefty 14% alcohol well. U.S. importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C. (Sept. 4, 2008)

[b]FOOD MATCH:['b] I'm rarely loath to make a cross-Latin match between a French wine and an Italian meal, and scored this time with a lighter-style summer version of Italian-American spaghetti and meatballs with Pecorino Romano cheese: The meatballs were local natural beef and the topping was no thick, long-simmered, caramelized "gravy" but a quick, fresh garden-tomato sauce.

[b]VALUE:['b] An easy choice at just over $10 in these economic times.

[b]WHEN TO DRINK:['b] No worries about holding it for a year or two, but I wouldn't try to cellar it.

[b]WEB LINK:['b]
The Chateau Monpezat Website is available in French and English. Click "Version Francaise" or "English Version" for your preference:
http://www.chateau-montpezat.com

[b]FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:['b]
Locate vendors and check prices for Montpezat Coteaux du Languedoc Palombières on Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Montp ... g_site=WLP

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Robin, my take on the Languedoc (and also Roussillon) region is that its good growers are an excellent source of great value robust reds (and increasingly whites also) with personality, like the one you review, in the modest <€ 10 and middle <€ 25 price ranges.

However, excellent though the best like Mas Jullien, Clos Marie, Daumas Gassac, Aupilhac, etc. can be, I have never found one which, for me, breaks through into the really fine top class unlike Trévallon, Bandol of, say, Tempier and Château Simone's Palette white from neighbouring Provence and Châteauneuf du Pape from close-by Southern Rhône.

I am sure that the potential is there but too many attempts at culty wines end up over-extracted and over-oaked.

Have you, or anyone else, had better experience?

[Robin Garr]

However, excellent though the best like Mas Jullien, Clos Marie, Daumas Gassac, Aupilhac, etc. can be, I have never found one which, for me, breaks through into the really fine top class unlike Trévallon, Bandol of, say, Tempier and Château Simone's Palette white from neighbouring Provence and Châteauneuf du Pape from close-by Southern Rhône.

I am sure that the potential is there but too many attempts at culty wines end up over-extracted and over-oaked.

Have you, or anyone else, had better experience?

Excellent, excellent point, Tim. Now I wish I had thought of that. As TomHill says, I've been following the Languedoc since the very start (well, not really, but since a college trip to our city's sister city, Montpellier, in the middle '60s, and another working trip there as a journalist (long story) in 1981. Even at that latter point, Languedoc wines remained unknown in the U.S., although my visit happened to coincide with an annual Foire des vignes et des vins, which was a blast for me as I was just getting serious about wine then, and I was surprised to find some really interesting, small-production wines.

Long digression. Where I was headed was this: I think you are absolutely right. In my experience, based on those trips but mostly on imports tasted on this side of the water, I think Languedoc has moved from being a lake of plonk to a place that's making some very fine wines of very good value. But I would look askance at anything over $20 from the region unless it came with a persuasive story. You mention Mas Daumas Gassac, for instance, and I've never found anything to justify its price against more rationally priced competitors for me.

[Robin Garr]

However, excellent though the best like Mas Jullien, Clos Marie, Daumas Gassac, Aupilhac, etc. can be, I have never found one which, for me, breaks through into the really fine top class unlike Trévallon, Bandol of, say, Tempier and Château Simone's Palette white from neighbouring Provence and Châteauneuf du Pape from close-by Southern Rhône.

I am sure that the potential is there but too many attempts at culty wines end up over-extracted and over-oaked.

Have you, or anyone else, had better experience?

Excellent, excellent point, Tim. Now I wish I had thought of that. As TomHill says, I've been following the Languedoc since the very start (well, not really, but since a college trip to our city's sister city, Montpellier, in the middle '60s, when I discovered the vrac to my delight; and another working trip there as a journalist (long story) in 1981. Even at that latter point, Languedoc wines remained unknown in the U.S., although my visit happened to coincide with an annual Foire des vignes et des vins, which was a blast for me as I was just getting serious about wine then, and I was surprised to find some really interesting, small-production wines.

Long digression. Where I was headed was this: I think you are absolutely right. In my experience, based on those trips but mostly on imports tasted on this side of the water, I think Languedoc has moved from being a lake of plonk to a place that's making some very fine wines of very good value. But I would look askance at anything over $20 from the region unless it came with a persuasive story. You mention Mas Daumas Gassac, for instance, and I've never found anything to justify its price against more rationally priced competitors for me.

http://www.thewinedoctor.com/roussillon/gauby.shtml

Gerard Gauby makes wines that are in a class by themselves. Before anyone makes generalizations about the quality of Languedoc/Roussillon wines, they need to at least know who this guy is.

[Robin Garr]

http://www.thewinedoctor.com/roussillon/gauby.shtml

Gerard Gauby makes wines that are in a class by themselves. Before anyone makes generalizations about the quality of Languedoc/Roussillon wines, they need to at least know who this guy is.

Could be ... skimming my notes, I see I had a bizarre Gauby white at a wine dinner in Avignon a couple of years ago, served blind for the amusement of the group. Based on this one, he struck me as something like Josko Gravner in Fruili - a wild-eyed experimentalist making some wacky, wonderful and truly unique stuff. But my question (in both cases) would be whether it's in any way representative.

Of course there will be exceptions that prove the rule, but I think Tim hit the nail on the head: BY AND LARGE, Languedoc has moved from jug wine to good QPR status, and that's a good thing. But the "landmark" wines remain few and far between.

Robin, thanks for this Advisor!
Well, what a coincidence as Tim mentioned Gassac!

http://www.thewinedoctor.com/tastingspr ... umas.shtml

I have some Guilheim in the cellar, impulsive buying!!

Gerard Gauby makes wines that are in a class by themselves. Before anyone makes generalizations about the quality of Languedoc/Roussillon wines, they need to at least know who this guy is.

I am an admirer of Gérard Gauby, in particular the way in which he has managed to make his wines less alcoholic and more elegant and digestible. His whites are exceptional and his red cuvées Calcianires and VV are way above most of the local competition and the former is excellent QPR.

All I can say, though, is that I have yet to taste one of his wines which I really moves me as a masterpiece should. Perhaps a mature Muntada would do so but so far I have only had young samples at tastings. One of these days I will open Muntada 1998 but that wine was made from vines which were still quite young and before he transformed his style.

You mention Mas Daumas Gassac, for instance, and I've never found anything to justify its price against more rationally priced competitors for me.

I attended a vertical of Daumas Gassac in London about ten years ago and some of the wines from the 80s and 1990 were then showing very well but those from the 90s did not seem to have the stuff to be worthy successors. I also recall an 86, I think, which I owned and was very fine. As this wine has become quite expensive, c. € 40, I have tended to overlook it including the handful of bottles of 1990 and 1994 still in my cellar. I will take a look at one soon and report.

Wine Doctor seems to be saying that the Guibert family is still delivering the goods.