France, Languedoc Roussillon
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More-so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Malbec), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled. Click here for our Bordeaux FAQs, the benefits of buying En Primeur or find out about how the wines from Burgundy are classified.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Malbec), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled. Click here for our Bordeaux FAQs, the benefits of buying En Primeur or find out about how the wines from Burgundy are classified.
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This Syrah is truly expressive of the South of France. Lightly perfumed with aromas of dark berries, plum, sweet spice and hints of forest bramble. The palate is rich and supple with a core of ripe and naturally sweet berried ... Learn MoreMAISON DE PARNASSE SYRAH 2017$11.99 Per item -
Made solely from Syrah that is completely whole bunch fermented with a short maceration (a few hours) sufficient to impart colour and texture. The nose is aromatic and sweetly perfumed with aromas of strawberries and rose petals. The palate is ... Learn MoreBERTAINE ET FILS ROSE 2018$17.00 Per item -
The nose displays raspberry and cherry aromas with a hint of fresh herbs. A light-medium bodied palate, with ripe fruit flavours of red currant, cherry and strawberry fruits. Some hints of baking spices and subtle oak in the background. To ... Learn MoreBERTAINE ET FILS PINOT NOIR 2017$17.99 Per item -
Les Vignobles Foncalieu named 'Cooperative Winery of the Year 2012' by the Revue du Vin de France - the biggest magazine in the French wine industry! A strong and aromatic nose of red fruits mixed with liquorice notes. Medium bodied, ... Learn More -
Aromatic nose with aromas of small mashed red fruits mixed with spicy and smokey hints. Rich and silky palate. The Le Versant Syrah Vin de Pays d'Oc has a nice aromatic complexity with a pleasant and fruity finish. Offering great ... Learn MoreLE VERSANT 'VIN DE PAYS D'OC' SYRAH 2016$21.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Picpoul de Pinet is located in the Languedoc region in the south of France. It is one of the few regions in France that is named after the grape varietal that is most common there. Grown meters from the oyster ... Learn MoreCHATEAU FONT-MARS PICPOUL DE PINET 2017$21.99 Per itemOut of stock -
Exclusive to United Cellars - our most popular Syrah! A sumptuous and youthful Syrah from sun-drenched vineyards in the south of France. Aromatic nose with aromas of small mashed red fruits mixed with spicy and smokey hints. Rich and silky ... Learn MoreLE VERSANT 'VIN DE PAYS D'OC' SYRAH 2018$22.99 Per item -
An amazing French Chardonnay, great value for money, with aromas of white flowers, ripe fruit and a hint of honey. A generous yet well-balanced mouthfeel with fresh stone fruit characters and a hint of oak. Perfect for every day of ... Learn MoreLE VERSANT 'VIN DE PAYS D'OC' CHARDONNAY 2018$22.99 Per item -
Made by the best co-operative producer in France, and imported exclusively by United Cellars. A delicate pretty nose, attractively scented. Notes of red fruits combine with more floral aromas like apple or orange blossom. Fresh and truly delicious with fruit ... Learn MoreLE VERSANT 'VIN DE PAYS D'OC' ROSE 2018$22.99 Per item -
An amazing French Chardonnay, great value for money, with aromas of white flowers, ripe fruit and a hint of honey. A generous yet well-balanced mouthfeel with fresh stone fruit characters and a hint of oak. ... Learn MoreLE VERSANT 'VIN DE PAYS D'OC' CHARDONNAY 2017$22.99 Per item -
A lively, fruity and fresh wine that is aged on lees in stainless steel for 8 months without malolactic fermentation in order to maintain as much freshness and vivacity as possible. With a mineral nose featuring aromas of flint, red fruit ( ... Learn More -
The Chapoutier family of winemakers have been making wine in the Northern Rhone for decades, and are one of the largest landowners of some of the most renowned vineyard sites in the world. This wine is a blend of 65% Grenache ... Learn More -
100% Syrah; among the first planted in the “department” and above all among the rare few to be grown using the Goblet pruning method with individual stakes. Located in the Lesquerde district, an area in the department where the grapes are ... Learn More
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