Admittedly, we don’t feature many Languedoc wines here at SommSelect. But then, most Languedoc juice that comes across our tasting table isn’t as elegant, soulful, and downright delicious as Château L’Argentier’s “Vielle Vignes de Cinsault.” For a crew whose palates lean heavily toward the complexity and precision of Burgundy or Bordeaux, this became an immediate must-have, a no-brainer bottle to stock our cellars for the cold months ahead. It’s seamless and juicy, laden with red fruit and scrubby herbs, and it positively shimmers with energy. “Vielle Vignes de Cinsault” defies every expectation one has about both the Languedoc and the hot 2020 vintage–consider that the magic of old vines and masterful stewardship. And on top of it all, at less than $30 per bottle, it’s a heck of a value. Grab a few bottles of “Vielle Vignes” and just like us, you’ll learn to love the Languedoc!
Talk to any winemaker who works with old vines, and they’ll happily pontificate about what viticultural treasures they are. Most speak of the vines as basically doing the work for the grower–they yield modest quantities, produce fully ripe wines with lower alcohols, and generally just chug along through the ups and downs of the season while young plantings’ conditions vary wildly. At L'Argentier, Elisabeth Jourdan and her husband François have an enviable collection of old vineyards. Their Cinsault averages 55 years old, with some plantings approaching the centenarian mark. Cinsault is already a variety prized by Southern French winemakers for the lift and elegance it brings to their burley blends–some refer to it as “the Pinot Noir of the south”–and those qualities are just enhanced by the Argentier vines’ age.
Of course, the terroir of Château L’Argentier also contributes to the grace on display. The vineyards are located in Sommières, in the northwest corner of the Languedoc-Roussillon. Located about 15 miles inland from the Mediterranean, on gently sloping iron and flint soils, this portion of the region can be thought of as the gateway from the Rhône to the Languedoc. You’ll find more emphasis on Rhône favorites Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault at L’Argentier, while rustic and inky Carignan takes the lead in vineyards further west. These vineyards have been farmed by Elisabeth's family for going on a century now, and Elisabeth and François have cared for them since 1983. All the vineyard work is manual, there are no herbicides, and yields remain very low, producing powerful yet beautifully structured fruit.
The fruit for Château L’Argentier’s “Vielle Vignes de Cinsault” is handpicked when fully ripe, then fermented in concrete tanks. It ages for at least 18 months in concrete, and then Elisabeth and François wait until they feel it’s ready to drink before releasing it. Thus, their current release Cinsault is already four years old. It pours a deep ruby with hints of purple, the nose a rush of red fruits and Southern French savor. Crushed red raspberry, dried cherry, red currant liqueur, white pepper, bay leaf, cedar, and hot rocks sit beside lavender and rose petal floral tones. On the palate it’s medium-plus in body, with no rough edges, just a fantastic wash of lifted acidity to freshen up the very ripe fruit. It leans more into tarter red fruit on the palate before a flinty finish rounds things out. For lovers of everything from Syrah to Sangiovese, there’s a lot of delicious complexity on display here for not a lot of money. What more could you want?
