Le Grand Noir Cab/Shiraz 2006

The Languedoc does not have the reputation for producing wines of finesse that its more northern french brethren have.  They are uniquely Mediterranean wines: wines that reflect the region’s ancient, and cosmopolitan heritage.  What the Languedoc lacks in Bordelais gentility and Burgundian abstraction, it makes up in sunny approachability.

Le Grand Noir captures the rough-and-tumble accessibility of the area.  The wine is made of a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, (note the modern terminology of the latter).  The wine is technically classified as vin de pays, which allows Languedoc growers to produce and label wines made from grapes outside of the region’s traditional viticultural context.  In simpler terms, this means that a winemaker can make a wine from say, Merlot, and label it as such, rather than being confined to local, lesser known varietals such as Carignan, or Cinsault.

In the glass the wine is an earthy, slightly rusted red.  The nose is somewhat conflicted; it leads with the spiciness of the Syrah, but definitely suggests the slightly under-acidic juiciness of the Cabernet.

On the palate the wine is best described as fun.  This is the kind of bottling that wine-business old-timers refer to simply as, “good juice.”  There is nothing particulary complex about the wine; it has strong, red/purple-hued fruit, and a straightforward, if a bit workman-like, structure.

With an $11.99 price tag this wine is head-turningly good.  I suspect it will be even better outside this summer, paired with a very large, recently grilled hamburger.  I recommend you check this wine out soon.  Look for the wine with the large sheep on it.

J.

Tags: cabernet sauvignon, france, languedoc, sheep, shiraz, vin de pays
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