Blends make Languedoc wines tastier

 
French region cranks out the most wine, but it isn't the best

When many wine drinkers think of grape growing regions of France, the areas Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne come to mind, but the largest producer in that country is a region known as Languedoc.

 Mass producers of wine are rarely known for quality. Indeed, Languedoc wines — most are easy-drinking, everyday wines — were served to French soldiers during both World Wars. Grapes have been grown there for 25 centuries, usually lesser-known varieties such as carignan, cinsault and grenache.

But changes in blends using popular varietals such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah and improvements in technology — both in growing grapes and making the wine — have made these wines appeal more recently to the American palate.

2006 L'Archet Cuvee Occitane, $19.99. This wine had an earthy aroma of dried apricots, orange jelly beans, anise, clay and peanuts. It had good weight in the mouth. The wine started off juicy on the tongue giving way to cinnamon and baking spices on the finish. Made from roussanne, marsanne and grenache blanc.

2006 Arrogant Frog Lily Pad White, $13.99. Tropical fruit dominated the nose with scents of pineapples, dried banana chips and coconuts plus a bit of musk. Buttery flavors like that on popcorn exploded on the tongue, followed by tastes of pineapple and white grapefruit. This wine was a nice combination of tropical fruit and creaminess.

2006 Domaine Magellan Grenache Roussanne, $16.99.This wine's bouquet included candied citrus peel, dried apricots, lemon oil, pine and forest scents. Sweet candied fruit and dried apricots appeared in the mouth, plus some heat from the alcohol. This wine tasted fruity-sweet on the front of the tongue, but it turned out to be nicely dry.

2007 Chateau Saint Martin de la Garrigue, $17.99. We discovered scents of banana peel, pears, fennel, cinnamon, white pepper, salt and floral notes. Flavors included pears, green bananas, hops and pineapple rinds. The biggest impression of this wine was green fruit and good acidity.

Surfing the shelves
Sokol Blosser Winery 2006 Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills), $38. This hand-crafted pinot noir possesses a harmonious balance between fruit, tannins and acidity. Warm spices of cinnamon, clove and black pepper blend with strawberries, cola and tobacco.

Sharecropper's 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, $20. Another outstanding wine by winemaker Owen Roe. Radiant aromas of dark cherry fruit, tobacco, green bell pepper, vanilla and brown sugar continue on to the palate and even linger through to the finish.

Noble Estate Vineyard 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, $21. Tantalizing aromas of blackberry, earthy truffles and green bell pepper fill your nose, then carry through onto the palate where they are joined by subtle notes of toasted oak. This wine possesses a long, viscous finish.

Argyle Winery 2006 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, $25. Plucky plum compote and a parfait of ripe raspberry and rose petal plastron for one's platyrrhine proboscis. Flavors: a plenary of Pinot Noir pleasure principles. Piquant not platitudinous, plucky not plodding, this vintage is a plenitude of ripe black cherry and plum nectar centered, pleats of spiciness, with a juicy cherry pie finish.

Van Duzer Vineyards 2006 Estate Pinot Noir, $30. A beautiful dark red garnet color meets the eye as the nose detects aromas of ripe red fruits and a subtle interplay of blackberry and black cherry. Complex spice notes derived from the Dijon clones and French oak barrels mingle with floral notes of violet and purple jasmine. This is not an astringent or aggressive wine, rather, soft-textured tannins greet the mouth. Integrated spicy oak marries with the fruit to carry through on a moderately long finish.

2007 Silverado Miller Ranch Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, $20. A touch of semillon (4 percent) gave this wine a rich mouth feel like a white Bordeaux. Citrus fruits dominated the flavors, including grapefruit and lemon, backed by nice mineral and grassy notes.

Eola Hills Winery 2006 Lodi "Old Vine" Zinfandel, $19.95. This reveals fragrances of blueberries, cherries, pepper, and earth. In the mouth, it's a silky, expansive, full-bodied, savory wine with beautifully integrated acidity, wood, alcohol and tannin. Soft tannins add to the luscious texture of this delightful wine. These compact berries produce wines that explode on impact in the mouth, with layers of blackberries, cassis and licorice.

2006 Morgan Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir, $62. Aromas of black cherries, cranberries, cocoa, leather, oak and mint. Blackberry joined the flavors from the aroma on the palate. This wine will be most pleasing with meats and red sauces.

2007 (oops) Maule Valley Chardonnay, $12. This Chilean wine added 14 percent white carmenere to the chardonnay, adding a bit of white pepper, spice and herbs to the traditional chardonnay flavors of tropical fruit and peaches. The wine's name is an apparent attempt to gain your attention on the shelf.

2004 Kenwood Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon, $70. For its annual artist series this year, Kenwood broke from showcasing past work on its labels and commissioned a piece by Shepard Fairey entitled "Peace Woman." The intense cabernet was full-bodied with black currants, dark fruit and a hint of semi-sweet chocolate.

2004 Night Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon by R. H. Phillips, $8. Herbs, spice and cherries met the nose of this California wine. Soft textures and tastes of fresh cherries, raspberries and a hint of anise filled the mouth.

2005 Ca' del Solo Nebbiolo, $22. Few North American wineries grow this red grape, found mostly in Italy. This was an expressive, Old World style with wine with black cherries, plums, strawberries and earth notes. For a different experience, try this rustic wine.

Statesman Journal wine editor Victor Panichkul and wine writer Annette Solomon contributed to this story.