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60 Days of Rosé #10 | Les Chemins de Bassac Isa Rosé | Côtes de Thonges

60 Days of Rosé #10 | Les Chemins de Bassac Isa Rosé | Côtes de Thonges | $17.99

The weather is looking absolutely perfect for Mother’s Day this Sunday, and what better way to complete brunch than with a beautiful bottle of French rosé? We highly recommend Les Chemins de Bassac “Isa” Rosé… for you AND your Mom 🙂

Made with Grenache, Mouvedre and Syrah grapes that are certified organic, this light ruby-salmon stunner tastes like a basket of perfectly-ripe strawberries, raspberries and cherries. It’s balanced on the palate, with medium body, a smooth mouth-feel and a crisp, dry finish.

At $17.99, it’s an affordable way to show your Mom how awesome she is, and what great taste you have!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More info on Les Chemin de Bassac from wonderful natural wine importers Jenny & Francois Selections:

Isabelle and Rémy Ducellier took possession of this 19th century estate in the mid-nineties and have been producing a stunning array of wines ever since. The Chemins de Bassac vineyards are 100 meters above sea level and located near the village of Puimisson, which is 12 km north of Béziers, hence the vineyards benefit greatly from the nearby Mediterranean Sea.

www.cheminsdebassac.com

Certification: Certified Organic, Ecocert & NOP.

Age of Vines: 15 years

Pruning Method: Eight-bud double Cordon de Royat

Soil: Limestone & clay, large stones across well-drained topsoil

Varieties: Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre and Syrah

Vinification Method: The grape bunches are completely destemmed and each variety is vinified separately in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to preserve the freshness of the fruit and all of the individual flavors and aromatics. The saignée method is utilized in making this cuvée and the final blend is racked statically. Fermentation lasts for a month at temperatures below 20° C. The wine rests in tank until early spring when it is bottled and released.

Tasting Note: A light ruby-salmon in the glass, it is fully loaded with depth, complexity and personality. On the palate rich, lively strawberry, raspberry and cherry flavors are present. It shows impressive balance, medium body, a smooth mouth-feel and a persistent, crisp, dry finish.

Pairing: Grilled fish dishes, as well as hearty garden salads and summer pasta dishes.

Les Chemins de Bassac Isa Rose Wine Label

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60 Days of Rosé | #04 | La Vie en Rosé | Pays d’Oc | Cinsault Rosé | 2017

60 Days of Rosé | #04 | La Vie en Rosé | Pays d’Oc | Cinsault Rosé | 2017 | $9.99 (normally $12!)

Rolling in at number 4 during our 60 Days of Rosé is La Vie en Rosé – a wine we like so much, that every year, we snag stacks of it!

La Vie en Rosé fires on many cylinders:

  • Delicious, approachable, and crowd friendly
  • Drink by itself or with a BLT, fried chicken, Waldorf-style salads, fresh cheese, quinoa salad, Ratatouille, berry cobbler or pie… La Vie en Rosé is quite versatile
  • Easy to get into – unscrew the cap and enjoy!
  • Flowery, romantic label – we sell a lot for weddings
  • On sale for $9.99 (normally $11.99)

Enjoy this delightful rosé  today!

 

Read about Pays d’Oc:

content from www.paysdoc-wines.com

Cinsault: a delicacy

This grape variety is the ultimate Pays d’Oc rosé wines par excellence! It produces fresh wines with a pronounced taste of strawberry and rose petal, becoming slightly tile-red when assembled with Grenache where the rosé takes on its roundness.

Pays d’Oc grape varieties

Pays d’Oc wines are fruity and new, elegant and modern or refined and contemporary. They are perfect for every occasion, fulfil every desire and are ideal for every table. They have a well-defined French character, bathed in sunshine and the Mediterranean, which makes them easily recognisable.
Excellent value for money, Pays d’Oc wines are resolutely appealing.

Pays d’Oc: IGP – Protected Geographical Indication – a quality label

Pays d’Oc IGP is attributed to a wine that is exclusively produced in the Languedoc-Roussillon and has been accepted for approval by the Pays d’Oc Wine Producers Union. The label is awarded to wines that meet strict production quality criteria. The wine must also display typical Pays d’Oc characteristics. 92% of all Pays d’Oc IGP wines are varietal wines.

Between Land and Sea

The Pays d’Oc territory winds along the Mediterranean Sea, weaving itself along 4 departments in the Languedoc-Roussillon : Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude, Hérault and the Gard. The Pays d’Oc boasts 200 km of beaches and vast expanses of vineyards bathed by the sun.  A rich and natural combination of steep slopes, hilly peaks, vineyards, garrigue vegetation and the sea, the Pays d’Oc territory is embraced by its Mediterranean climate that comfortably enfolds the vines with its dry and windswept soils.

Having always embraced the vine, Pays d’Oc has adapted its vineyard and adopted grape varieties from different regions in France.  These grapes have embraced the Pays d’Oc and taken on the region’s charm.

The terroir effect

The terroir effect is noticeable upon tasting wines from the different Pays d’oc zones.  The Languedoc-Roussillon’s wealth of diverse soils and climates are exemplified by its *** terroirs. As grapes embrace the land from which they are grown, the grape varieties express themselves differently depending on the climate, exposure, relief, and soils. Pays d’Oc’s patchwork of wine-growing areas creates an expression of these grape varieties that is unique.

Pays d’Oc men and women

In the Pays d’Oc, mankind and vineyards tell one of the most beautiful stories of life and passion. Throughout the centuries and eras, passion for wine has always stayed alive.  Despite all the ups and downs of history, it remains, more than ever, connected to its territory. Over the past 30 years, the men and women from Pays d’Oc have understood the importance of adapting regional viticulture to economic and regulatory changes. Their heartfelt commitment to the regional viticulture tradition has created a strong motivation towards optimising the use of the vineyards. Using a savoir-faire passed down through the centuries, they create high-quality wines that reflect Pays d’Oc’s typicity.

As a result, Pays d’Oc wines embody wine growers’ passion and commitment and reflect the producers’ ability to combine tradition and modernity.

 

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Tessellae Carignan | Vieilles Vignes | Côtes Catalanes – Back In Stock!

A $16.99 stunner!

We are delighted to announce the return of Tessellae Carignan Vieilles Vignes (Old Vines) to our wonderful French red wine section.

This gorgeous French red wine has a solid following at our store, so much that we have to pre-order it multiple times a year.

Next time you need a great, versatile bottle of red wine for under $20, snag a bottle of Tessellae.

Tessellae Carignan | Vieilles Vignes | Côtes Catalanes | 14.5% ABV | $16.99

Tessallae Carignan Vieilles Vignes –

  • Varital | 100% Carignan
  • Age of Vines | 70  Vieilles Vignes (Old Vines)
  • Location | Roussillon, France
  • Appellation | Côtes Catalanes IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée)
  • Size | 160 hectares
  • Farming | Practicing organic
  • Soil | Schist
  • Altitude | 275 meters
  • Fermentation | Hand harvested, destemmed, cold pre-fermentation maceration, fermented in concrete
  • Aging | 12 months in concrete tanks (80%) and demi-muid (20%)
  • Flavor | Black raspberry and black cherry fruit, licorice and dried spices to go with a super sexy, heady, seamless style on the palate that keeps you coming back to the glass.
  • Food Parings | Vermont Creamery Cremont, Fresh Chevre, Cranberry Vinaigrette Salad, Tumeric/Curry Pilaf, Moroccan Couscous, Coconut Pepper Chili Soup, Spicy Shrimp Thai, Balsamic Glazed Chicken.

From europeancellars.com

Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage farm 160 hectares of vines located just south of the capital of French Catalonia, Perpignan. Some of their vineyards are situated a few kilometers from the Mediterranean while others can be found in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This range of sites allow them to make both refreshing whites as well as concentrated reds and, this being the Roussillon, some fortified wines as well. Benefiting from a warm, dry climate, the estate is farmed organically.

They grow primarily Grenache (Blanc, Gris & Noir), Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Marsanne, Roussanne and Chardonnay with a significant proportion of the vines well over 50 years old. The soil, as you near the coast is weathered, alluvial gravel while in the higher elevation sites it is predominantly schist. They harvest by hand and the winemaking is surprisingly uncomplicated with stainlesss steel for the fresher whites but mostly concrete tanks for the rest with a
small amount of French oak demi-muids.

Carignan has had a rather tumultuous history in the south of France. Once seen as a necessary grape to spur the recovery of the region after the plague of phylloxera in the late 19th century, primarily for its ability to produce high yields, it has been largely replaced with “nobler” varieties such as Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. This is unfortunate, for as challenging as the variety is to love when the vines are young, they are superb with half a century under their belt. Jean-Marc Lafage luckily resisted the call to uproot and replace this variety, and he possesses Carignan vines well over 70 years old on schist with which he makes the Tessellae Carignan.

 

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Forty Ounce Muscadet | Easy & Friendly French White Wine

Fun and friendly, the newly arrived Forty Ounce Muscadet is an easy drinking, comfortable, French white wine.  Grab a bottle, a paper bag, a bucket of oysters, and enjoy!

From fortyouncewines.com

FORTY OUNCE MUSCADET

APPELLATION: Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine sur Lie

GRAPE VARIETAL: 100% Melon de Bourgogne

ALCOHOL CONTENT: 12%

ORIGIN AND TERROIR
This cuvée comes primarily from terroirs seated on gneiss rock, which gives wines its fruitiness early on. A small part also comes from Amphibolite (type of rocks),which contributes a citrus and fresh mouthfeel. The vines are 30 years old on average.

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Mas Carlot | Les Enfants Terribles | 2012 | Nimes

mas-carlot-les-enfants-terribles-nimes-wine

Mas Carlot | Les Enfants Terribles | 2012 | $16.99

I don’t shy away from big, luscious wines during the summer, I enjoy full bodied wines all year.  The Mas Carlot 2012 is becoming one of my ‘go-to’ wines because of it’s superb lushness for under $20.

nimes2

I usually drink this satisfying wine from Nîmes (southern France) after a long day at work when I’m craving an affordable luxury.  A wine that can span a meal from a main dish such as slow roasted lamb or duck with raspberry sauce, to desserts like chocolate cake.

Mas Carlot is on the heavier side of a medium to medium heavy bodied wine but not flabby or overly sweet at the end which makes it great by itself or with a dessert.  It has structure and softness at the same time so It doesn’t ‘need’ anything but plays well with food.

– Jason

From domaineselect.com:

About:

Under the Provençal sun, Mas Carlot is a beautiful oasis of rustic charm. Its foundations date back to the 17th century, with extensive renovations made in the 19th century, yet the presence of ancient Roman ruins suggests that this land was also being farmed at least 2000 years ago. Paul-Antoine Blanc, owner of Paris’ famous Le Pied de Cochon restaurant in Les Halles, first fell in love with the property in 1986. Paul sold the restaurant and moved here to Bellegarde, tending to the renovations of the winery and cellars. His daughter, Nathalie, followed him two years later after finishing her studies in enology and was transfixed by her new surroundings. She eventually fell in love with Cyril Marès of Mas de Bressades, literally the boy next door, and today, she runs the 75-hectare domaine. Energetic and passionate, Nathalie is regarded as one of the most talented winemakers of the Costières de Nîmes.

Info:

  • Product: Mas Carlot Les Enfants Terribles
  • Formats available: 750 ml
  • Appellation: AOC Costières de Nîmes
  • Country: France
  • Raw materials: 60% Mourvèdre, 40% Syrah
  • SoilType: Rolled pebbles colored by the red clay of Costières
  • Exposition: South-east facing slopes
  • Average Yield: Mas Carlot limits yields to around 45hl/ha, which is one-third below what the appellation allows
  • Vinification: The Mourvèdre and Syrah are fermented separately.
  • Region: Costières de Nîmes
  • Average Of Vineyards: Vines are up to 60 years old
  • Elevation: Vines are planted to 70 meters above sea level.
  • Duration And Aging Method: The Mourvèdre and Syrah are aged for nine months, half in tank and half in barrel.
  • Alcohol Content: 14%
  • Production: 3,000 cases

 

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Whispering Angel Rosé – Back in stock!

whispering-angel-rose

We are delighted to announce the re-supply of Whispering Angel Rosé – one of the most requested Rosé wines of 2016!

 

Whispering Angel Rosé is only available to us on a pre-order basis meaning it is not a regular stock item from our distributor so we can’t get it all the time.

If you need a delightful, easy drinking, celebratory Rosé, snag capture this French Angel in a bottle while miraculously in our store.

$20.99 / 750ml while supply lasts

 

From esclans.com:

The Whispering Angel chapel from early 19th century, with its two cherubs who have inspired the creation of Whispering Angel.

whispering-angel-chapel

Whispering Angel is a blend of Grenache, Rolle, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvedre grapes. Strikingly pale pink in color, the aromas are fresh and fruity. On the palate, it is bone dry through the finish. The name really suits the delicate nature of this wine.