The carignan varietal isn’t known for making sophisticated wines. Second only to Merlot plantings in France, Carignan covers enormous swaths of the southern third of the country. It’s known as an undistinguished, high yield grape, which can produce four times the volume of Pinot Noir on the same acre.
Springtime has returned. Baseball is back, green shoots are pushing through the dirt, and but for a freak snowstorm here and there we seem to be on the path to warmer weather. It’s not quite rosé season yet, but that’s not far off either.
“Natural” wines can be hard to get right, but when they’re good they can be extraordinary. The wines of the Mas Foulaquier are undoubtedly the finest and most consistent biodynamic reds in our portfolio. The cuvées are exceptionally clean and well formed, marrying ripe fruit with earthy notes from their rugged terroir.
Winemaking began in the Languedoc around 125 BC, and over the last two millennia, little has changed in the basic chemistry. Though the last century saw the advent of new chemicals and measurements, winemaking is still the combination of grapes, yeast, and time.
The Holidays are a time to gather family and friends, reflect on the year gone by, and maybe open that special bottle you’ve been saving. This week we’ve highlighted some ideas for that celebratory bottle, from Vosne-Romanée to Grand Crus Burgundies to samplers in our 2017 Gift Guide.
Harvests have begun around France this week. Next week the older half of the Ansonia team heads over to Burgundy for les vendanges in the Côte de Nuits. In the Languedoc, where the warm southern sun ripens the grapes earlier, the Mas Foulaquier’s harvest is well under way. Browse through their Instagram and you can almost smell the wild yeast…
Europe has been unusually hot this summer. Though the south of France is no stranger to summer heat, the country’s continental climate is important in helping its wines achieve balance. Overripe grapes contain too much sugar and too little acid, which boosts alcohol levels and flattens the palate.
The Languedoc is one of the world’s oldest winegrowing regions, tracing its history back to 125 BC. For many years it has been known for abundant, cheap, and largely uninteresting wine, but in the past few years the region has seen a renaissance. There is a new wave of small scale winemakers, many committed to low-intervention, “natural” styles of winemaking.…
For most people, the summer is rosé and white wine season. We’re thrilled to help in both categories (look for the Goubert Rosé release on Friday), but for something smoky off the grill, or for a cool midsummer evening, it’s helpful to have some red around.
Winemaking began in the Languedoc around 125 BC, and over the last two millennia, little has changed in the basic chemistry. Though the past century has seen the advent of new chemicals and measurements, winemaking is still the combination of grapes, yeast, and time.
We don’t know about you, but the warmer weather this weekend felt pretty nice to us. With green shoots emerging from the soggy ground and baseball back in season, we seem to have turned a corner towards spring. Rosé season is not quite here, but it’s not far off either.
“Natural” wines can be hard to get right. While we applaud winemakers who employ such rigorous respect for their land, the results are far from consistent. When they’re off, they can be unpredictable and flawed. But when they’re good, they can be extraordinary -- the best are pure expressions of terroir with unmatched complexity and energy.
For winemakers in Burgundy, finding enough sun is a perennial concern. An unusually rainy year like 2016 can make ripening difficult. In the Languedoc, France’s southernmost region, the concern is just the opposite: how to harvest grapes with enough acidity to preserve freshness.
Winemaking began in the Languedoc around 125 BC, and over two millennia little has changed in the basic chemistry. Though the last century saw new chemicals and measurements, winemaking is still the combination of grapes, yeast, and time. The winemakers at the Mas Foulaquier return to this simple alchemy.
For the careful shopper, the Languedoc can be an abundant resource. Long deserving its reputation for mediocrity, the region has only recently become a source of value. There’s still plenty of bad wine made in the vast region, but if you make good choices, $13 will take you farther here than just about anywhere else.