Dear Wine Geometrists,
Today, let's talk about a very underrated wine in a very underrated region of wine. That's what wine experts love to do: to catch the underrated gem at a low price!
First, the region: Languedoc-Roussillon.
Located in the South of France on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, the Languedoc region has a moderate-warm climate at latitude 42 degrees North (remember that quality vines need to grow at 30-50 degrees North or South of the Equator?).
Languedoc is a great region for wine making, as it is a very sunny region, with a certain degree of wind which makes wines relatively constant year after year.
The terroir is a mix of chalk, limestone and gravel soils towards the inland, whereas it is more alluvial towards the coast. These soils bring freshness and minerality to the wines.
Quality: During the 1970’s, the Languedoc Roussillon was guilty of overproducing cheap jug wine. Old Grenache vineyards were ripped out and replaced with high-yield grape varieties such as Carignan. Since then, Languedoc Roussillon has slowly been recovering its status as a quality producer by reducing yields and going back to blending in more Grenache.
Major Types of Wine
It’s all about blends. In the Languedoc, vineyards are often called ‘patchwork’ because so many different grape varieties grow together. Most producers make blends instead of single varietal wines. Red blends from Languedoc Roussillon tend to be more full-bodied and fruit driven.
Red Wine: Rich full-bodied red wines with Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre as major components.
White Wine: Unoaked zesty white wines made mostly with Picpoul and Grenache Blanc. Step aside Pinot Grigio.
Rosé Wine: Same varieties in reds and whites, but pink by design.
Sparkling Wine: Cremant de Limoux is supposedly older than Champagne; and a super value.
Sweet Wine: From white sweet wines of Muscat to Maury, a red fortified wine made of Grenache that lasts up to 100 years.
Now, to the wine itself. This dry red wine represents a slightly different style of Languedoc wines.
The Tessellae is a "GSM" blend, which stands for Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre. This is usually a Cotes du Rhone classic blend, that the Domaine Lafage have decided to transfer to the Languedoc.
Grenache (a.k.a. Garnacha)
By far the lightest of the three wines, Grenache adds candied fruit, raspberry, cinnamon spice and Ruby Red grapefruit flavors. Typically Grenache accounts for the largest portion of a southern Côtes du Rhône wine. Although Grenache is light in color it can add high alcohol levels to the blend, giving GSM wines a long tingly finish.
Syrah (a.k.a. Shiraz)
Syrah is famous as the grape of the northern Rhône region (for the well-known regions of Hermitage and Côte Rotie). Syrah adds the darker fruit flavors of blueberry, plum and even black olive to the Côtes du Rhône blend. Syrah can be very savory tasting, often imparting that classic “bacon fat” aroma that people note on the wines from the Rhône. The interesting thing about blending Syrah is that it adds a lot of up-front flavor and boldness but not a lot of aftertaste. For the finish, we call upon Mourvèdre…
Mourvèdre (a.k.a. Monastrell)
If you ever want to try a single variety Mourvèdre (and you should, they’re delicious), look for French Bandol or a Spanish Monastrell. Mourvèdre itself is a deeply rich dark wine, similar to Syrah, but with a more persistent finish. The grape is used somewhat sparingly in Côtes du Rhône to add tannin structure (read: bitterness) and floral aromas.
Wine tasting notes:
This wine is indeed juicy and full-bodied, supple and smooth. Lots of fleshy blackberry aromas and flavours. Great value, quality and taste for the price. Pair with pork tenderloin.
The Geometry:
NO DEFAULT: 4/4
SMELL: 3/4
BALANCE: 3/4
DEPTH: 3/4
LENGTH: 2/4
Overall personal rating: 15/20.
A very good everyday wine, not too much length, but an excellent finish to your steak or your cheddar cheese!
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