This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday asked wine enthusiasts to sample mid-priced ($15-30 US) wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. As I reported in the latest podcast episode, this is an unsung wine region that deserves more attention. The good Doktor Weingolb has done his duty to focus the spotlight on these wines.

For this installment, I acquired four reds that each ran less than $20. Local pickings were a bit slim (one of the advantages, I suppose, of living in a state where the wholesalers let in only 5% of the wines produced worldwide), so I hopped over to WineLibrary to find some qualifiers.

The first up is the Domaine Clavel Les Garrigues 2003. This wine bears the Coteaux du Languedoc designation. It is a dark purple, inky as one can imagine. The aromas are loaded with dark fruits. The flavors match the aromas, with a nicely balanced structure, fitting tannins, and a nice lengthy finish. My score: 90 points, or A-. A real bargain.

Second up is Calvet-Thunevin Cuvée Constance Vin de Pays des Côtes Ctalanes 2004. This wine was a bit milder than the Domaine Clavel. The colors were dark purple and inky, with dark fruit aromas again. The flavors were a bit softer, as were the tannins, with a nice finish. Catherine liked it better than the Domaine Clavel, but I thought they were of equal worth. 90 points, or A-. A good bargain for shoppers.

Third up is Chateau Coupe Roses Minervois Cuvee Vignals 2004. This wine has a nice garnet color, with plenty of saturation. It is very earthy on the nose, with powerful aromas. On the palate, though, it’s kind of mild. Not quite weak, but not matching the aromas. The finish is okay. I’d score this at 85 points, or a B to B-. A decent bargain, but not as good as the first two.

Update [5/14/07 01:37 GMT]: After some time in the glass, the Chateau Coupe Roses has improved. The earthy aromas have blown off to reveal sour dark cherry. The tannins are a bit more pronounced (which I think is odd as oxygen usually softens the tannins) and the finish is much longer, about 8 seconds. I re-score this at an 88, or B+. A good bargain, but my money is still on the Domaine Clavel.

Another update: It’s still Wednesday, and I managed to open up my fourth wine. The Les Verrières Clos des Soutyères Coteaux du Languedoc 2004 is a dark, inky, puple wine. The aromas are multilayered, dominated by dark fruits (blackcurrant?). Hints of cedar might be there as well. It has nice structure, medium body, supple tannins, and a nice long finish. My score, 90 points or A-. A nice bargain, tied with the Domaine Clavel.

Thanks to Marcus at Dr. Weingolb for a great theme. I have a new interest in Languedoc-Roussillon wines, and can’t wait to make a trip to Sam’s in Chicago to see what all they may have to offer.

Sorry I couldn’t post more labels or links–WordPress is behaving strangely on this computer. (again with the sad face!)

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