I did not make it to the Kermit Lynch tasting this week at Union Square Wines yet I found a consolation prize, reading their Staff Tasting Recap: 5/20/09, Rosés and Southern France Reds (Inspiring Thirst, May 28).
June is almost here and since the slew of tastings in March and April, I realized that I have not tasted any new Rosé wines. I was reminded of it when seeing a nice bottle of Bandol (around $30) the other day on the shelves at Whole Foods.
My consolation was to see the good people at Kermit Lynch wet my thirst with the 2008 Languedoc Rosé from Mas Champart (pictured below, from their story).
They say it seems to have a cult
following.
Here are their tasting notes:
"So how can it be a cult wine at $13.95? I guess it doesn’t
matter what the price is, people want this wine and the domaine doesn’t
make much. The Champart Rosé is delicate and fresh with an underlying
herbs de provence that makes it, quite frankly, similar to Bandol in
style. It’s not quite the intense complexity of Bandol, but it sure is
close."
I learned from Cambridge Wine Merchants (UK) that "Mas Champart is owned by Matthieu and Isabelle Champart, who moved to the Languedoc in 1976. Matthieu was originally a farmer in the Aube, whereas Isabelle originated from Paris. Their estate began as a run-down house surrounded by 8 ha, but now comprises 16 ha of vineyards entitled to the St Chinian appellation, as well as some arable crops and orchards. They began, like many others, by selling their grapes to the local co-operative, but soon struck out on their own. Their first vintage for reds brought success, and they started producing a white wine in 1996."
Let me find that wine now!
Related: La Vie en Rosé in 10 Wines, Sud De France Tasting, March 16, New York