Another top notch wine from the Languedoc.
The Les Darons Languedoc is a blend of old vine Grenache (60%) and Carignan (25%) with 15% younger vine Syrah, all from the Laure-Minervois area northwest of Carcassonne in Languedoc, France. This wine does not spend any time in oak.
The Les Darons Languedoc has an SRP of $16 and is available for as low as $12. Imported by Hand Picked Selections. Sample submitted for review.
From the bottle:
Grenache and Carignan have long been cultivated in Southern France and represent the "forefathers" of the Languedoc Appellation's red wines. An homage crafted from old-vines Grenache and Carignan (averaging 40+ years in age) with a dollop of Syrah, this wine was subsequently labeled "Les Darons", the affectionate expression for "The Parents" in the Parisian suburbs where winemaker Jeff Carrel was born.
An accessible wine with loads of character, "Les Darons" is packed with ripe, red and dark fruit aromas, with plenty of spice and a streak of underlying minerality. Enjoy this classic, unoaked red with a wide range of everyday meals.
14% Alcohol
As we've mentioned before, we're big fans of the Languedoc here at Reverse Wine Snob. This perpetually sunny region has been turning out some amazingly good red and white wines at great prices and today we've got the perfect example.
The 2013 Les Darons Languedoc by Jeff Carrel begins with a nice strong aroma full of ripe red berry, plum and blackberry fruit along with some nice spice notes and touches of mint. When tasting this unoaked, medium to full-bodied wine you're immediately inundated with tons of tart, ripe, sweet, jammy fruit. It doesn't end there; however, as the wine also shows some fantastic mineral notes likely from the clay/limestone soils the old vine Grenache and Carignan are grown in. It's a great combination that will have you going back for sip after sip. Add in some nice acidity and this is a wine that will hold up to lots of different food pairings. It ends with a dry and grippy finish filled with more fruit and mineral notes.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
