Languedoc Winemakers Ditch Traditional Plonk for Richer Blends

Jan. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Through two World Wars, Indochina and Algeria, the French army’s wine ration came from France’s largest wine-producing region, the Languedoc. This did nothing to enhance the area’s reputation for red wine, which was known, not affectionately, as “le gros rouge,” or the coarse red.

As the French taste for better-quality red wines evolved, the vintners of the Languedoc (formally Languedoc-Roussillon) languished, continuing to pump out oceans of cheap plonk, much of it dumped into the European Union’s “wine lake” to be distilled into industrial alcohol.

The threat of reduced EU subsidies has caused riots in the region. The Comite Regional d’Action Viticole claimed responsibility for breaking into warehouses and dumping wines, torching a police car and blowing up a grocery store in protest.

None of this has engaged wine lovers’ affection for the wines of the Languedoc, which has more than half a million acres under cultivation along the Mediterranean and produces a quarter of all French wine.

In order to survive, less combative and more forward- thinking winemakers of the region -- including a few pioneering Australians who moved there -- have worked since the 1980s to improve the quality of their product, dividing the area into smaller appellations like Coteaux du Languedoc, with sub-regions like La Clape, Pic Saint-Loup and Gres de Montpellier.

These wineries have researched the best, healthiest varietals -- principally syrah, grenache, carignane, mourvedre and cinsault -- and try all sorts of blends to achieve distinction. The bulk producers sniffed at such experiments until the small, estate-made wines began to command higher prices.

Among the Best

Frankly, I was surprised to find Languedoc bottlings now in the global market to be among the finer regional French wines I’ve recently sampled. Of a dozen or so examples, including a few commendable whites, there wasn’t a single bottle that reminded me of those sour, teeth-tinting reds I remember from years ago. In fact, they were extremely easy-drinking, with most at 13 percent to 13.5 percent alcohol.

The reds all showed the brightness of grenache, the richness of syrah and, in several, the heft of mourvedre. Chateau de Lancyre Pic Saint-Loup -- an exceptional buy at $19 -- is made from 30-year-old vines, and it shows in the complexity of flavors, from anise to cherry, in a blend of 65 percent syrah and 35 percent grenache.

The 2005 Chateau La Roque ($14), also from the Pic Saint- Loup region and now receiving a good deal of attention, has a pleasing 13 percent alcohol and a whopping 90 percent mourvedre, which gives it fleshiness, intensity and a big bouquet, along with the spiciness of 10 percent syrah. I loved drinking it with roast breast of goose and red cabbage.

Smooth, Balanced

The 2004 Cuvee Mythique Corbieres Reserve ($18) combines 35 percent syrah, 30 percent mourvedre, 20 percent grenache and 15 percent carignane -- big percentages of each -- to produce a very smooth, beautifully aging wine with the character of its well- regarded Corbieres appellation. There is just enough softness balanced with light acid to make this wonderful with charcuterie, ham or pork.

A younger, 2007 Corbieres, from Les Deux Rives ($9) is 40 percent grenache, 30 percent syrah, 20 percent mourvedre and 10 percent carignane, with 13 percent alcohol, making this a fragrant, fresh, ready-to-go-anywhere wine that is best with a little chill on it, not unlike Beaujolais. It’s great for picnics, grilled chicken, even grilled salmon.

The Languedoc whites showed at least as well as the reds. They retained a good proportion of sweet fruit and the bite of acid, making them just perfect with rich tomato dishes.

Grand Cru

One of the most respected producers of the region, Mas de Daumas Gassac -- a self-proclaimed “Grand Cru of the Languedoc” -- makes a golden blend of 25 percent chardonnay, 25 percent viognier, 25 percent petit manseng (an up-and-coming white varietal in the Languedoc) and 25 percent chenin blanc. The wine spends three weeks in stainless steel, is aged in Burgundian oak and then filtered using “fossilized seashells.”

It has amazing richness, not unlike some of the best white Burgundies, with a faint sweetness that buoys all the other components. The label says it is best decanted, and a swirl of oxygen is indeed a good idea with this big, bold white wine. The 2006 vintage is $31.

And for those who like muscat wines, try 2006 Domaine de la Coume du Roy Muscat de Riversaltes ($25), a naturally sweet dessert wine with 15.6 percent alcohol that’s a sheer delight with a pan of roasted chestnuts or a plate of almond cookies.

If it sounds like the vignerons of the Languedoc are toying with tradition by trying all sorts of grape combinations, the results by now are impressive.

The French army should only be so lucky as to have such wines as their ration these days.