Domaine d’AUPILHAC/Sylvain FADAT
2015 Languedoc Lou Mazet
Medium-weight and with some power, this wine has dark fruits and is firm. There’s enough force here to take on strong foods, such as those with tomato sauces. Drink young and cool. The wine is from Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvèdre, the principal grapes of the region. Certified organic and biodynamic. 13% stated alcohol. 87/B+
CLOS DU GRAVILLAS/Nicole et John BOJANOWSKI
Certified organic.
2015 Hérault Côtes du Brian Sous les Cailloux des Grillons
This wine is made from seven different grape types: Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Counoise, and Mourvèdre. The result is a juicy, dark-fruited wine that is easy to drink, although not especially precise. Think along hte lines of a Côtes-du-Rhône with a little more dark fruit. 13% stated alcohol. 87/B+
2015 Hérault Côtes du Brian Carignan de 100 Ans
Very old-vine Carignan can make fascinating wine in various locations, of which the Languedoc is one of the finest. This wine is deep with dark blackberry fruit and the smooth, velvet texture of old-vine Carignan. The body is medium-weight. You can drink this now, with strong dishes such as grilled meats and grilled vegetables, but it has the balance to age well for a decade and probably well more. 14% stated alcohol. 90+/A
CLOT DE L’OUM
2015 Côtes du Roussillon-Villages Gavatx
This wine is primarily from Grenache on granite soils at high altitudes. It is slightly smoky in its aromas and flavors, both of which feature breadth and dark fruits. This wine drinks well now (no sense of high alcohol) and should be great to accompany all kinds of meat, cheese, and vegetarian dishes with tomatoes. Certified organic. 14% stated alcohol. 90/A
Domaine de la GARANCE/Pierre QUINONÉRO
2014 Vin de France à Clara
I’ve enjoyed the few previous wines I’ve had from this producer, but they were primarily from Carignan, and so quite different from this wine, which is half Pinot Noir and half Grenache, a most unusual combination. The wine is silky in texture with red fruits (especially strawberries) and some minerality. It’s an enjoyable wine, especially as it is not very expensive, and rather unusual. Certified organic. 12% stated alcohol. 87/A
Château de LASCAUX/J.B. CAVALIER
2015 Languedoc Garrigue
Although not from Pic Saint-Loup, this wine has a creamy, sensual texture that resembles that of wines from there. The fruit is dark berries with minerality. There’s good depth here, acidic support (although not intrusive), and tannins for aging that are present but round. You can drink this wine now or cellar it 10-15 years. The wine is a blend consisting of 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 10% Mourvèdre. 14% stated alcohol. 90/A
2016 Pic Saint-Loup Languedoc Carra (Lot L172001)
A combination of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, this wine shows the tenderness and suave texture of Pic Saint-Loup with dark flavors, although no great precision. Certified organic. Lot L172001. 14% stated alcohol. 87/B
2016 Pic Saint-Loup Languedoc Carra (Lot L 179107)
A different lot of the same wine, this bottle displays the smoothness of Pic Saint-Loup with a medium-full body, dense dark fruits, a bit of iodide, and tannin that will permit this wine to age for a decade and probably more. Lot L 179107. 14% stated alcohol. 89/A-