Wine of the Week 7/2/19

La Closerie des Lys Pays d'Oc Les Fruitières Rouge

Regularly $13.99/On sale for $10.96

Having cut their teeth in Burgundy, childhood friends Christian Collovray and Jean-Luc Terrier decided to move shop to Languedoc, where land was far cheaper. Rather than having to reinvent themselves, they settled in Limoux, the coolest region in the south, where Chardonnay thrives to the same extent and on the same viticultural schedule as in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy (The Lys Frutieères Blanc was our featured W.O.W. just a few weeks ago!). It’s also a region where red grapes from the West (Cab Franc and Merlot) can be successfully blended with grapes from the South (Syrah, Grenache) to create a uniquely friendly, light-bodied, but layered wine. The Closerie des Lys vineyards occupy a lovely, isolated mountain valley hidden in the Pyrenean foothills. The combination of Southern sun and the high-altitude coolness allows for both ripeness and a surprising level of zinginess! The Merlot, originally planted in 1972, lends some gravitas, but that too is balanced by food-friendly pepper and spice from the Grenache. Looking for the perfect red to open around the summer bonfire? This is it!