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2018 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La RoqueBesides having one of the best names in the wine business, Cyriaque Rozier has one of the best jobs. He runs the historic estate of La Roque with carte blanche. The domaine is his oyster, if you will. While he long ago certified the estate as biodynamic, brought in the horses for working the vines, and banished all additives from the cellars, he now gets to focus and experiment on the details. This rosé, for instance—so pale you need to hold it up to a light and squint to see that slight flicker of rosé hue—blurs the line between rosé and blanc. It seems like a peek at a fifth dimension, a middle ground between light and shadow (cue Twilight Zone music). The look and the aromas say blanc, and yet the suave, velvet pillow feel says rosé. I say, “Yes, please!”
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | Rosé |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Cinsault, 20% Grenache, 20% Syrah |
Appellation: | A.O.C. Languedoc Pic Saint Loup |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Château La Roque |
Vineyard: | 3 ha, 20 years |
Soil: | Scree slopes, Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
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2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
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There is something timeless to La Roque’s Pic Saint Loup, its herbal bouquet and rich, fleshy texture, all free from any hint of modern trappings.
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Maybe it’s the biodynamic farming, but these wines always seem to have an extra gear when it comes to aromatics and sheer deliciousness.
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This rosé, so pale you need to hold it up to a light that flicker of rosé hue, blurs the line between rosé and blanc.
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It’s dense, noble, with grip and grit, the kind of cuvée that could generate a lot of awe and attention... and also a much higher price tag.
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Lately you may have noticed a rise in freshness, a burst in aromatics, and a softness of texture in La Roque’s wines.
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About The Producer
Château La Roque
About The Region
Languedoc-Roussillon
Ask wine drinkers around the world, and the word “Languedoc” is sure to elicit mixed reactions. On the one hand, the region is still strongly tied to its past as a producer of cheap, insipid bulk wine in the eyes of many consumers. On the other hand, it is the source of countless great values providing affordable everyday pleasure, with an increasing number of higher-end wines capable of rivaling the best from other parts of France.
While there’s no denying the Languedoc’s checkered history, the last two decades have seen a noticeable shift to fine wine, with an emphasis on terroir. Ambitious growers have sought out vineyard sites with poor, well draining soils in hilly zones, curbed back on irrigation and the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and looked to balance traditional production methods with technological advancements to craft wines with elegance, balance, and a clear sense of place. Today, the overall quality and variety of wines being made in the Languedoc is as high as ever.
Shaped like a crescent hugging the Mediterranean coast, the region boasts an enormous variety of soil types and microclimates depending on elevation, exposition, and relative distance from the coastline and the cooler foothills farther inland. While the warm Mediterranean climate is conducive to the production of reds, there are world-class whites and rosés to be found as well, along with stunning dessert wines revered by connoisseurs for centuries.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174