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Domaine de Brunet Cuvee du Mazet

2020

Love Côtes du Rhône wines but wish they were lighter? Here's your answer…

Rhône meet the Languedoc in this ethereally lovely red blend, and Robin’s de facto house red. It manages to jump straight out of the glass with bright violet notes, soft fresh fruit, a sprinkle of pepper and nuances of mountain herbs and spice. Think along the lines of a classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape with lots more freshness – a factor of Mas Brunet’s location on the windswept limestone plateau of the Terrasses de Larzac. This will pretty much go with anything.

The hot climate and dry summers of the Languedoc make it tricky to retain a fresh finesse in these grape varietals, yet the Mas Brunet Cuvée du Mazet manages to leap out of the glass with bright, violet-y, soft fruits, and nuances of herbs, pepper and spice.

Due to its remoteness and its independent winemaking philosophy, Brunet was among the first in Languedoc to bottle & label at the estate.

Details

More Information
Wine Type	Red wine
Closure	Natural Cork
Alc. Vol	13
Units	9.75
Region	Languedoc
Country	France
Grape Varietal	Carignan, Cinsault , Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah
Food Pairings	Salads, Barbecued Meats, Goat's Cheese

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France

France – the home of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne – is arguably the world's most important wine-producing country. For centuries, it has produced wine in greater quantity – and many would say quality – than any other nation, and its attraction is not just volume or prestige, but also the variety of styles available.

The diversity of French wine is due, in part, to the country's wide range of climates. Champagne, its most northerly region, has one of the coolest climates, whereas Bordeaux has a maritime climate, heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the various rivers that wind their way between vineyards. Both in stark contrast to the southern regions of Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, which enjoy a Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot summers and mild winters.

Terroir is also key. From the granite hills of Beaujolais to the famous chalky slopes of Chablis and the gravels of the Médoc, the sites and soils on which France's vineyards have been developed are considered of vital importance and are at the heart of the concept of terroir.

Languedoc-Roussillon

Languedoc-Roussillon in the south of France stretches from the Rhône valley in the east to the Spanish border in the southwest. The region of Languedoc has belonged to France since the thirteenth century and the Roussillon was acquired from Spain in the mid-seventeenth century. The two regions were joined as one administrative region in the late 1980s.

Dominated by 300,000 hectares of vineyards, it is France’s largest wine producing region. Vineyards are often called ‘patchwork’ because so many different grape varieties grow together, and many producers make blends instead of single varietal wines. Reds are rich with Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre as major components. Whites are unoaked and zesty, made mostly with Picpoul and Grenache Blanc.

Important appellations include Minervois, Corbières, Picpoul de Pinet and Terrasses du Larzac. Blanquette de Limoux and Crémant de Limoux are popular sparkling wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

Grenache/Garnacha

Grenache (aka Garnacha) is a black grape variety that has been championed by the French in the Southern Rhône Valley, however its original home is in Spain. It typically has high levels of sugar (and therefore alcohol) and low acidity. Due to its thin skins, Grenache’s tannins tend to be on the lower end of the spectrum, making way for all the juicy red fruit flavours (strawberry, plum, red cherry).

Grenache is often blended with other grape varieties, such as Syrah in France and Tempranillo in Spain. Many are unoaked, but high-quality wines are matured in barrels to add complexity. These will happily age in-bottle developing meaty, earthy flavours over time. You’ll also find Grenache in a lot of rosé wines.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhône is probably the most highly prized Grenache, where you can expect more smoky herbal notes in the wine. Spanish Garnacha contributes fresh fruit to the wines of Rioja and Navarra, but the most powerful and full-bodied Garnacha-based wines can be found in Priorat.

Syrah/Shiraz

A rich, powerful, and sometimes meaty red wine that originated in the Rhône Valley of France. Syrah is the most planted grape of Australia, where they call it Shiraz, and the Barossa Valley is home to some of the oldest Syrah vines.

Syrah is responsible for some of the darkest full-bodied red wines in the world, and it has dark fruit flavours that go from sweet blueberry to savoury black olive. Grown across the globe, it can be used as a single variety or as part of a blend.

Old World Syrahs from Italy and France tend to have more acidity and earthy-herbaceous aromas. New World-styled Syrah wines from Australia, The U.S. and South America usually have more fruit-driven characteristics with lots of spice.

Some of the most famous (and most expensive) Syrah is from the 340+ acre Northern Rhône appellation called Hermitage. Elsewhere in the Rhône, you'll mostly find it blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre (GSM Blend).