Languedoc Roussillon is an area of France that I have paid very little attention to, luckily the great French wine importer Cynthia Hurley has. My friend John Finkel owner of Magnolia's Wine and Spirits recommend this Cynthia Hurley import, Ancestrale, Saint Chinian, 2005 from Domaine Des Jougla.
It is a delicious wine from start to finish.
Languedoc Roussillon is in Southern France and is home to some of the most exciting wine regions in the South. It wraps around the Mediterranean and near the city of Béziers is the Saint Chinian territory where this wine is made.
The grapes are Mourvedre (40%), Grenache (30%), and Syrah (30%), it has a wonderful taste from the very moment you open the bottle. The beautiful garnet red color delights the eye with a deep sexiness, the initial nose and flavor imparts lively cherry, with menthol, a light touch of crisp leather, a little celery, and a mildly sweet coffee and pepper coming in behind. The flavors play and interact on your taste buds in a delightful way.
The tannins are very mild but the wine is full and alluring in the mouth. I drank this bottle over 3 days, in fact I am finishing it now. Great with goat or blue cheese, pistachio nuts and olives. It is not an overpowering wine and will compliment many dishes.
Domaine des Jougla is a family estate that has been inherited by successive generations of winegrowers since 1595. Located in the northwest of the department of Hérault on the southern slopes of the Cévennes foothills, it is at the centre of the AOC Saint Chinian territory. Two-thirds of the vineyard are planted on the foliate schist slopes of the Ordovician, and the remainder occupies the gravel, clay and dolomite limestone soils of the Eocene.
Cynthia Talks about this wine here Domaine des Jougla - St Chinian Ancestrale 2005
Things to do, places to see, with food and booze
There are lots of nice wines to be had from this region despite the bad press the Languedoc Roussillon has received over the years.
Posted by: BrianRS | 04/20/2009 at 07:54