2010 Chateau Fontanes
This is a fun little wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. If you’re not familiar this is right below the Rhone Valley. This region is fairly warm with Mediterranean influences. They produce mainly red blends and use varietals such as: Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Carignan, and Grenache Noir. Blended wines such as this can produce some well balanced earth driven wines with some fruit characteristics due to the use of Syrah. If your new to French wine this could be a great way to explore because wines from this region are fairly inexpensive and can be simple and easy to enjoy.
Kermit Lynch is the importer of this wine where you can look up some more details and find other great French wine they import. This wine is a blend of 40% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 20% Mouvedre, 10% Cinsault, and 10% Carignan. On their website they reference the winemaker and his tactics, “Though Cyriaque is within the boundaries of the appellation Pic St-Loup, the lion’s share of his production is Cabernet Sauvignon, a grape varietal that is outside of the constraints set for the A.O.C. in the Languedoc. This means that in lieu of getting an A.O.C. cru status, he must take a Vin de Pays d’Oc designation. The trade-off for Cyriaque is that he gets to make his wines his way, and we, in turn, get an incredible price—a mutually beneficial trade-off. Being rebellious seems to come naturally to a man of such innate talent, and the elegance of his wines are proof enough in a region where bigger is often considered better. Make no mistake, raw terroir and spicy garrigue abound in these wines, with rich, juicy fruit and silky tannins.”
2010 Chateau Fontanes $18.98
Tasting Notes
Sight: Deep red with purple hues demonstrate its youth.
Nose: Blackberry, jammy raspberry, earth driven qualities with aromas such as dried leaves, wet dirt, herbaceous characteristics with some baking spices.
Palate: Medium bodied, on entry fruit is apparent and the finish is driven by medium acidity with slight minerality and oak. The tannins are fairly soft and well integrated.
Pairing Suggestions
This wine is fairly rustic so I would recommend pairing it with rustic food. Such as a big bowl of spaghetti and meat balls, stews and this wine would be perfect for the upcoming winter months. This would also be great with some slow roasted carnitas. It has enough tannin to stand up to fairly rich proteins such as pork and its medium body would pair nicely with a hearty stew that has a similar mouth feel and texture.
Terah Bajjalieh, CS, CSW
Certified Sommelier
@terahbajjalieh
