Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 73
YEAR'S BEST LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON
notes of ginger, turmeric and grilled lemon.
It feels clean and bright yet exotic, to pour
with an Indian-spiced roast fish. § Louis/Dressner Selections, NY
and serve with sausage-stuffed mushroom
caps. § USA Wine West, Sausalito, CA
L AN G U E D O C R OSÉ
213665
90 | Château Coulon
$15
2015 Corbières Ombres et Lumières (Best
Buy) ^ This smells like the garrigue in spring,
when the thyme and rosemary are in bloom.
It might be too much if you're sensitive to
perfumey wines, but this one's acidity makes
it feel fresh and end clean. It might be even
better next year, with a little time to settle
down. (W&S 8/16) § Baron François, NY
L AN G U E D O C RE D
CORBIERES
221084
92 | Les Domaines Auriol
$33
2012 Corbières Domaine Plo-des-Vents
Roc Rolland ^ The Lignères family has run
the Plo-des-Vents estate since the 1950s; in
2006, they partnered with Auriol, and began
converting the vineyards to organic farming.
A blend of syrah, grenache and old-vine carignan vinified in a combination of stainlesssteel vats, cement tanks and large oak casks,
then aged in barriques for 14 months, this is
as dark and spicy as a Mexican mole sauce.
It needs air to get past the initial funk; then
the barnyard scents turn more towards wellaged beef: sweet, mineral and umami. It feels
classic and mature, with hints of caramel and
herbs, and firm mocha-rich tannins. § Wines
With Conviction, Dallas, TX
217927
91 | Château d'Aussières
$33
2013 Corbières ^ Fittingly restrained and buttoned-down for an estate run by Domaines
Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) since 1999, this
is an elegant Corbières, chocolate-smooth
and quietly spicy. Forty percent of the blend
ages in new barriques from DBR's cooperage
in Pauillac, which gives the wine plenty of
tobacco and cedar scents, but the oak aging
doesn't overpower the plummy fruit. Give it
another few years in the cellar to meld and
it will be an elegant companion to a leg of
lamb. § Pasternak Wine Imports, Harrison, NY
221395
90 | Gérard Bertrand
$45
2015 Corbières Château de Villemajou ^
From the 20-acre estate in Boutenac that Bertrand's father bought in 1970, this is a cuvée
of old-vine carignan, syrah and mourvèdre. It's chocolate-dark and rich, with sweet
scents of oak and spice perfuming its raspberry fruit. Give it some time in a decanter
dash of grenache, it's packed with flavor. It's
tight and all tenor at first, with tangy red fruit
and tea-like spice; with air, the bass tones
come out, earthy and ferrous, driven by fine,
pleasantly gritty tannins. It's an elegant carignan that would do well with something lean
and gamey, like roasted game birds. § Hand
Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA
221149
90 | Gérard Bertrand
221144
90 | Château des Aladères
$20
90 | Domaine
de Fontsainte
$17
2014 Corbières Sélection Vieilles Vignes ^
Sappy and spicy, this smoky Corbières has
breezy freshness that makes it compelling.
It's also salty and savory, with black-olive
fruitiness and a backbone of acidity that
keeps the wine firm. § W. Direct, Sonoma, CA
221057
2014 Corbières Réserve La Demoiselle ^
According to Yves Laboucarié, this is the
vineyard that convinced Kermit Lynch to
begin importing his domaine's wines some
30 years ago. "He came and tasted, tasted,
tasted, even though it was late at night, and
then said he'd be back in the morning. We
waited. At eleven he arrives in his raincoat,
mud caked on his shoes. I asked, 'Who are
you, Inspector Colombo? Where have you
been?' He said, 'Je cherche Demoiselle.'"The
carignan vines in that vineyard were planted
in 1904; Yves' son, Bruno, now tends them,
and likes to show the Roman coins he still
turns up in the dirt, left behind by the land's
earliest vintners. He uses carbonic maceration to avoid the bitterness carignan can give,
and blends the juice with a little grenache
and mourvèdre. The result is lush and darkfruited, with a woodsy, wild-strawberry center and a growl of earthy tannins to balance. §
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
220976
86 | Castelmaure
$13
2015 Corbières Col des Vents (Best Buy) ^ A
blend of carignan, grenache and syrah, this
needs a chill to curb the sweetness of its redberry fruit. Then pour it with burgers. § Kysela
Père et Fils, Winchester, VA
COTEAUX DU
LANGUEDOC
FA U G E R E S
221055
92 | Domaine Léon Barral
$35
90 | Domaine Léon Barral
$72
2013 Faugères ^ Léon Barral, a pioneer of biodynamics in the Languedoc, farms 74 acres
in the schist soils of Faugères. His 2013, off
vines 40 to 70 years old, tastes as if it sucked
up the soil, transmitting its flavor in a salty
mineral tang and a firmness that holds the
wine fresh for days after opening. Based on
carignan, with 30 percent syrah and 20 grenache, it's a meaty wine, but not at all heavy,
with a bright, bristling acidity. That combination made one taster think of a Cubano
sandwich, which would be a terrific pairing. §
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
221053
2013 Faugères Valinière ^ Barral's Valinière
is based on mourvèdre, with syrah grown
on north-facing vineyards accounting for 20
percent of the blend, all of it biodynamically
farmed. It's brooding and meaty, with the
earthy, smoky scent of a campfire, some rosemary branches mixed with the firewood. In
the center, a tight nugget of red-cherry flavor
slowly infuses the wine with freshness that
holds for days. It's delicious now, especially
with rare lamb, but should age well, too. § Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
H E R A U LT
219984
90 | Les Vignes d'Olivier
221034
90 | Le Mas de Bertrand
$75
2014 Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape
L'Hospitalitas ^ Hospitalitas is a small parcel
within Gérard Bertrand's Hospitalet estate,
situated just under a 90-foot cliff not far from
the sea. The protected site, with its marl and
chalk soils, gives a rich, ripe wine, further
accented here by ample oak treatment. The
result is smoky and sultry, with a tapenadelike savor to its black fruit. It lasts, a firm,
sleek wine for the cellar or steakhouse. § USA
Wine West, Portland, ME
$22
2012 Coteaux du Languedoc St-Saturnin ^
Don't let the translucent color fool you into
thinking this is a lightweight red: Made from
the fruit of century-old carignan vines and a
$20
2015 Vin de France Rond Rouge ^ Before
taking over an old estate in Argelliers in 2013,
Olivier Cohen staged at an array of top wineries, from Antoine Arena in Corsica to Thierry
Allemand in Cornas; he also worked behind
WINE & SPIRITS
JUNE 2017
73
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - June 2017
Contents
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 1
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 2
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 3
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 4
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - Contents
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 6
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 7
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 8
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 9
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 10
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 11
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 12
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 13
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 14
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 15
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 16
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 17
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 18
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 19
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 20
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 21
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 22
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 23
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 24
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 25
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 26
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 27
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 28
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 29
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 30
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 31
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 32
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 33
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 34
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 35
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 36
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 37
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 38
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 39
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 40
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 41
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 42
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 43
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Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 45
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 46
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 47
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 48
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 49
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 50
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 51
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Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 53
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 54
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 55
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 56
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 57
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 58
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Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 60
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 61
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 62
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 63
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Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 65
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 66
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 67
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 68
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 69
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 70
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 71
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 72
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 73
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 74
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Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 76
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 77
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Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 90
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 91
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Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 94
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 95
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - 96
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - Cover3
Wine & Spirits - June 2017 - Cover4
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