GRANDS CRUS DU LANGUEDOC

Cuvée Solidarité Languedoc

Pic St. Loup suffered a devastating hail storm in the middle of August last year.  I didn’t see the actual damage, but photographs looked as the vineyards were covered in snow.  It fact it was large hail stones.  We are talking golf balls, rather than petit pois and the impact on the ripening grapes and vines was devastating.   Some wine growers have lost their entire crop; others escaped unscathed.  It just depended where you were; and Méjanelle and parts of Picpoul de Pinet suffered too.   So as a gesture of solidarity to the affected vignerons, a Cuvée Solidarité has been made at the village cooperative of Cabrières to raise some money to help the unlucky vignerons.    Although you can insure against hail, not everyone does, and it is expensive, and although it may cover your loss in terms of grape value, it does nothing about your loss of actual sales.    So Cuvée Solidarité is a AC Languedoc and a blend of 70% Syrah, with 30% Grenache, from the 2016 vintage.   It has lovely ripe spicy red fruit, and some subtle tannins, making for very easy undemanding drinking, without any great depth.  It is Languedoc sunshine in a glass.  And is available from the Maison des Vins du Languedoc at the Mas de Saporta  for 10.00€.  My one criticism is that it is quite expensive for what it is, but it is for a very good cause; for each bottle sold the vignerons will receive 7.00€.  And if you do not know the shop at Mas de Saporta, it is well worth a detour the next time you are going into Montpellier as it has one of the finest selections of appellation wines from the Languedoc.  

La Maison des Vins du Languedoc,
chemin de Saporta,
Lattes 34971
Tel: 04 67 06 04 42

 www.maisondesvinsdulanguedoc.com