Languedoc | 2011 vintage
In the Languedoc, as elsewhere in France, 2011 delivered light, early red wines overall. As is also often the case, it was a fairly uneven vintage as the unsettled sequence of weather conditions sometimes made it difficult for grapes to ripen fully. It is in years such as this that the differences between domaines which pay close attention to the vines and demonstrate a light touch in the cellars (often organic or biodynamic producers) and the rest of the field are apparent. Whites are a cut above reds on the whole.
The Roussillon region did much better overall. A high-yielding, healthy harvest with good phenolic ripeness delivered reds in 2011 reminiscent of the well-balanced wines of 2007. The top success stories in reds were the Côtes du Roussillon Villages and the PGIs from the Agly Valley area. Comfortable yields did not dilute the wines. Most are pure and fragrant with ripe tannins and will be expressive even as young wines.
