Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/430172
42 / the tasting panel / december 2014 There was little incentive for innovation beyond maximizing tonnage, however, and thus Languedoc cemented its reputation for "an ocean of wine." And then the region underwent a sea-change. With the end of repressive regimes in Portugal (1974) and Spain (1975), the rise of Common Markets (precursors to the EU) allowed free movement of persons, goods and capital. Languedoc, with its Mediterranean climate and cheap land, quickly became a "micro- Europe" melting pot of nationalities. Outsiders with their own wine heritage saw potential laying fallow. They gobbled up vineyards set on mountains and soon-to-be prized hillsides with soils best suited to producing quality wines. This led to a culture clash that partly explains the area's tremendous diversity. Some saw wine as a precious commodity, and with methodology and technology, Languedoc could engage at world-class levels. To those entrenched in the region's working class consump- tion, treating wine as something other than food was an elitist affront to long-held values. Europe's California Though natives and neo-producers debated, pragmatism won out. Global palates were shifting and austere French wines were falling out of favor with new consumers abroad. Some traditional- ists saw this as a slight on the national culture and held their ground, but Languedoc capitalized on opportunity and started cranking out high-yield, sun-ripe wines geared for export. "Principles don't pay bills," says Robert Jones, Master Sommelier. "Rules are stretched in the Wild South, and besides, these people have only been French for a while"(Exhibit A: Languedoc and neighboring Roussillon are the only places in France where Catalan is recognized as a regional language). Languedoc-Roussillon's then President went so far as to say he wanted to turn the area into "Europe's California." It worked for a while, until French consumption dropped precipitously and the world found itself amidst a glut of middling-quality wine. As Europeans and French drinkers shifted from volume to quality, Languedoc lost market share. In 2001, 5,000 producers tired of being undersold by Italians and Spaniards rioted on the A9 Avignon-Perpignan motorway. In order for them to survive, they had to adjust again. Smart Languedociens looked to the slopes and better appellations to restore quality. Since then, bulk wines and tendencies to chase trends remain, but the number of first-generation producers committed to typicity and specificity has sharply risen. Co-ops are down by 50% and increasingly the U.S. is noticing a trend: "It's always coming up in the conversation," says Madrigale. "Sommeliers want wines that express where they come from. Languedoc has that in spades, plus conscientious wine producers—espe- cially in the past 25 years." Three Tiers, One Rising Star Today, Languedoc is settling into a three-tiered system. At the Languedoc AOP regional level (30% of AOP production), there are all kinds of wines, similar in quality and price to Côtes du Rhône Villages. At the Grands Vins du Languedoc level (60% of AOP produc- tion), you'll find the main historical areas of Corbières, Picpoul and Minervois. And at the Crus du Languedoc level (10%), wines are strictly limited to key appellations by terroir. Christine Molines, Marketing Director for the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc (CIVL), the trade council representing Languedoc AOPs within France and all export markets, is charged with communicating the region's message. "It's always difficult to insert quality after value takes hold," she said, "but you can drink Languedoc according to your mood. You can look for the security and excellence of AOP wines with their French philosophy, rules and traditional varieties, or go to IGP wines for creativity and experimen- tation." And that dynamic range is what makes Languedoc so exciting. "We've had the most success with Languedoc wines which presented great drink- ing value for under $60, that said, it's always fun to see a guest's reaction to a well-priced bottle of something a bit more cult like Grange des Pères for $175," says Eric Larkee, Wine Director, The Genuine Hospitality Group, Miami. Pop a floral and zippy Pays d'Oc IGP Gris de Gris Rosé, uncork a rustic, schist-driven, Faugères AOP and then surrender into a spicy, full-bodied Corbières-Boutenac AOP Cru—Languedoc's evolution will all make sense. JT's Cinq to Drink Les Costières de Pomerols 2013 AOC Picpoul de Pinet Hugues Beauvignac ($9.99)100% Piquepoul Grown in sight of oyster beds near Bouzigue and it shows. Bright, zippy, clean, fresh. Takes the place of a lemon squeeze on shellfish. KYSELA PÈRE ET FILS Domaine le Clos du Serres 2012 AOC Terrasses du Larzac Les Maros ($24.99) 60% Grenache, 20% Carignan, 20% Cinsault (called Oeillade locally) From 50- to 100-year-old vines in one of the region's newest AOCs, a delicate, finesse-driven wine layered with tobacco, plums and florals. The winemaker calls it "a bunch of flowers and a basket of fruit." WEYGANDT SELECTIONS Castelmaure 2013 AOC Corbières Col des Vents ($11.99) 50% Carignan, 35% Grenache, 15% Syrah (half maceration carbo- nique) An authentic French country co-op red from the wind (vents) pass (col) where mountain meets valley. Brambly with lavender and pure ground white pepper. KYSELA PÈRE ET FILS Ermitage du Pic Saint-Loup 2012 AOC Pic St Loup Tour de Pierres Rouge ($14.99) 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre Vinous, complex and plummy with black currant, blueberry skin and pepper drawn from 30- to 40-year-old vines on 20 hectares of red clay. KERMIT LYNCH Domaine de La Grange des Pères 2009 IGP Pays de l'Hérault Rouge ($111) 40% Syrah, 40% Mourvèdre, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cunoise Talk about a wine of place—you can taste the limestone outcrop- pings and nearby forest. Deeply aromatic and complex. Give it time if you can. KERMIT LYNCH