2014 Domaine de la Grange des Peres, Pays d'Herault, Rouge

Located in the Languedoc region in France, Domaine de la Grange des Peres utilizes organic and biodynamic farming on their 32 acres of vineyards. The warm, dry climate in this region makes sustainable production methods much more viable than in other parts of France. Stony limestone soils provide the kind of excellent drainage preferred by cabernet sauvignon. IGP wine does not always mean lower quality – in some cases, it allows producers to play with grape varieties otherwise not allowed in their home appellation. This is the case with Domaine de la Grange des Peres’ Pays d’Herault Rouge. A unique blend of cabernet sauvignon, mourvedre, and syrah, this deeply colored wine is rich and round, bursting with dark fruits (plum, cassis, blackberry) along with notes of black pepper, mocha, earth and smoke. Of this wine, critic Jancis Robinson wrote, “Polished tannins and great savor and transparency. Very much a food wine with still lots of tannin tucked in behind the fruit for future development.” The Final Sip: Choosing to forgo the use of the Languedoc AOC in favor of the Pays d’Herault IGP allows Domaine de la Grange des Peres to include cabernet sauvignon in their small lot red blend, creating an age-worthy wine of substance that still shows a strong sense of place.