Languedoc-Roussillon

This wine consists of 100% Picpoul (or Piquepoul) - a very popular, traditional local variety planted on sun-drenched hillsides called "costières" (coastal region) in the Mediterranean garrigue, near the Etang de Thau - a coastal lagoon situated between the port of Sète and Marseillan. The vines are 15-20 years old.

The garrigue is the name given to open scrubland made up of low-growing, dwarf bushy shrubs including holm oak, juniper, broom and wild herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage.

The color is a superb pale yellow with bright hues. The nose is elegant, with aromas of fresh fruit and citrus fruit especially grapefruit. Well-balanced with typical focusing and zesty acidity.

A pure expression of the grape varietal, the wine shows how good Picpoul can be when grown on its favorite terroir. Our best value, this wine impresses novices and hardened geeks equally.

-Importer notes

Grapes for both the Rivesaltes and Rancio sec are Grenache gris, harvested by hand from a small 1.9-hectare vineyard of 70-year old goblet vines. Following fermentation and a week-long maceration, elevage is undertaken in a former horse stable situated behind the chateau, a truly special place for the rearing of oxidative wines. The wines are kept in used 225-liter Bordelais fûts, stacked twos and threes, and year-by-year they concentrate and develop the rich texture and notable rancio character that is a hallmark of their elevage.

The first of four Minervois cuvées, this one brought up in tank. A terrific buy for a true vin de terroir. In this wine is all the garrigue underbrush of the high Minervois, laced with high-toned blueberry notes and underpinned by Carignan's tarry black notes. Yearly production averages 3,500 cases

-Importer notes (Vintage59)

—Dustin Soiseth (KLWM)

A custom cuvée for European Cellars and a joint project between Eric Solomon and Jean-Marc Lafage, Bastide Miraflors is a cuvée created from old vine Grenache (30%) grown on the schist and granite soils of Saint-Paul de Fenouillet, a terroir that always ripens late in the year, and Syrah (70%) from gravelly soils near the Mediterranean. After a long maceration of six weeks, the wine ages for 12 months in roughly 3/4 concrete vats and 1/4 600L French oak demi-muids.