2009 Rouge des Karantes Languedoc La Clape

What a wonderful summer day!  It's sunny and about 84, perhaps the most perfect weather to enjoy a relaxing glass of wine on the patio.  Tonight I am enjoying a bottle from one of my favorite producers from the south of France, in Narbonne on the Mediterranean, the 2009 Rouge des Karantes Languedoc La Clape.  I became familiar with Domaine des Karantes in 2008 or 2009 at a wine tasting fundraiser in Grand Rapids where I was able to meet with the proprietor and taste his wines.  He showed me a number of photos of the vineyard, and I was shocked at how close it was to the sea, you could see the Mediterranean right over the next hill it seemed.  I was so impressed with the quality of the Diamant des Karantes I ended up buying a case!

Well, here we are again, only this time its not the Diamant, but the lesser cousin, the Rouge des Karantes, but it's still a wonderful wine that beautifully expresses the terroir of the Coteaux de Narbonne and the warmth and beauty of the south of France.  I think sometimes when we drink French wine, we only think of Bordeaux, but there is so much more, from burgundy to the wonderful wines of the Cote d'Azur.  From a technical standpoint, I am not sure this wine could be much different than a Bordeaux.  Forget Merlot and Cabernet, this wine is 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre!  The result is quite pleasing.

On the nose, this wine has a distinct air of leather, earth and cedar with just a hint of licorice.  For a wine that you might expect to be more fruit forward, it's quite dry, with just a hint of black cherry.  The tannins are quite smooth, allowing a sophisticated, lingering finish.  The wine would pair very well with nice Mediterranean dishes, from a mussels simmered in tender red tomatoes and capers served over linguine, to seafood kabobs grilled over a wood fire, to a fresh platter of soft cheeses and olives.   Come to think of it, I need a snack!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, with room to grow over a few years, but given the cost compared with it's highbrow cousin, I have no place to complain!  I bought this bottle for $9 at my local wine merchant, G.B. Russo's & Sons, so if you can find it, pick up a bottle and enjoy the taste of the vacation spot of the rich and famous!