France: Three Incredible Wines, Part Two (Red)

Mas Laval, les Pampres, 2014

Mas Laval Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Les Pampres (France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin
de Pays de l'Hérault)

This red blend hails from nearby Montpellier and is the best red we had while in France, hands down. This was also a discovery at the wine bar L'Atelier de las Canourgues (what a gem)! The other two wines we loved have been impossible to find here (or even have shipped to us)*, so imagine my surprise when I received one of the newsletters from Arrowine with a picture and description of this exact wine for sale there!

My husband Anthony and I went and picked up a few bottles and while we were there, inquired about some other French wines we had while in France. We mentioned we had the Mas Laval in Montpellier and he told us it was one of his selections, and showed us some really cool pictures of a previous visit he had taken to the vineyard (hopefully that will be my next job :)

Tasting notes: Full bodied red, intense, rich and slightly fruity, but on the darker side, black cheery and violet and hints of mocha.
Grape Varietals: Red blend, 60% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre 15%, Grenache 15%, Carignan 10%
Where to find in the U.S.: Arrowine, Arlington, VA
Price: Around $22

Fun fact: Two of the grapes in this wine, Mouvedre and Grenache go by different names in Spanish wines, Monastrell and Garnacha.

Cheers!

Visit the wine importer's website.

France: Three incredible wines, Part One

We took the most amazing trip to France for our friend Julia and Peter's wedding. It was our first time in Europe and we stopped in Italy, too (a post on Italian wines to come soon)!

We stayed one more day after the wedding and did some exploring in Montpellier, France which (surprise!) took us to an amazing little wine bar in the heart of the city, L'Atelier de la Canourgue. They were so nice and conversational, asking us about wine bars in the U.S. (they thought it was funny that a place we frequent is called "Grand Cru") and were happy to give us their recommendations... and we are so happy we asked.

This is the first of three incredible wines, we had there.

 

Champagne Feneuil-Coppee Brut Tradition, Premier Cru

€18

This is, to date, one of the best, if not the best, Champagnes I have ever had. It's made mainly with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, two of the "big three" grapes used in Champagne; the other is Chardonnay. It comes from a small producer located in Chamery, a brother and a sister, fourth generation vinegrowers. It is slightly fruity on the nose, full and flavoral on the palette with notes of toast and almond with a crisp finish.

This wine is known as a grower champagne, which can be identified by a marking on the label, R.M., Récoltant-Manipulant, or R.C., Récoltant-Coopérateur. This type of Champagne is considered more artisanal and the grapes are typically sourced from a single vineyard. Larger Champagne houses can source their grapes from many vineyards all over the region.

This Brut Tradition is an R.C., and the grapes are sourced from their vineyard and made into wine entirely by a cooperative winemaking facility. 

I learned to look for this on the label when it was pointed out to me by one of the co-owners of Arrowine, who was nice enough to help me figure out if I could get this wine in the U.S. (after I returned).

Fun Fact: The Champagne region has a rich history that is incredibly fascinating, but for the sake of brevity, I will share just one fun fact this time. 

The term "Brut" comes from the French word for raw and refers to the sugar level added to the wine, called "dosage." Brut is very dry, but not as dry as Extra Brut, or Brut Nature. The widow, or Veuve, Clicquot, who took over her husband's wine business after he passed away, was the first to adjust sugar levels in champagne.

Unfortunately, after several attempts at locating this wine for purchase in the U.S., I was not having any luck so I reached out to the winery, who said they do not sell here because they are such a small producer. Who knows, maybe someday that will change! If you are ever in France or Europe, I would definitely seek this one out, it is truly special.

Visit their Facebook page here. And visit Southern France. It's an incredible experience! 

And for all of the super wine nerds out there like myself: if you would like to learn more about Champagne, there is a free game app I would recommend called Champagne Campus.

Part two and three, on a red, and a white wine, to come soon. Cheers!

State of the Vine recommendation: Crémant du Jura Rosé

Domaine André & Mireille Tissot Crémant du Jura Extra Brut Rosé: This rosé is on the fuller side. Red berry notes, with a crisp and creamy finish. A sparkling wine from the Jura region of France, made in the traditional method, the same process used to make Champagne, but since it is not from that region, it's called a Crémant and labeled with the region it's from (in this case Jura). This sparkling is Extra Brut, almost the driest a sparkling can be- very little sugar was added (also called the dosage). Available at Arrowine Arrowine & Spirits and MacArthur Beverage in DC. Cheers! 

Fun fact: This vineyard is Biodynamic, which means it follows the phases of the moon, and the wine and the vineyard is viewed as a living organism, so as little human intervention as possible is used. 

Learn more about Biodynamic wine here!