2021 Domaine Boucabeille Côtes du Roussillon Villages Monte Nero

Domaine Boucabeille has been planted to vineyards since the mid-20th century, but it wasn’t until Boucabeille family acquired the estate in 1990 and started renovating the estate and the vineyards that the wines began winning acclaim. Jean Boucabeille took over from his father in 2001 and in 2008 the estate achieved its certification as an organic producer and the new winery was completed. Today the estate’s 75 vineyard acres grow Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan. He also grows indigenous white wine grapes. Wine Advocate has rated the domaine’s wines in the low 90s and noted that “The farming here is all organic and the winemaking is as non-intrusive as possible. These are high quality wines."

Languedoc-Roussillon is very large wine-producing region in south and southwestern France extending along the Mediterranean coast from northern Spain to the Rhone Valley. It includes more than 800,000 vineyard acres and numerous appellations, nearly all created since the mid-20th century. Languedoc-Roussillon produces one-third of all the wine made in France and it long had a reputation for quantity over quality. In the last few decades, however, outside investors and some long-time local producers have greatly improved vineyard practices and winemaking. The result is that Languedoc-Roussillon is now home to many entrepreneurially-minded producers highly focused on quality, and it enjoys a buzz among wine buyers looking for well-crafted, robust wines offered at excellent values. The most successfully grown red grapes are the traditional Rhone varietals of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah, though Carignan and Cinsault are also planted. The intense sun and dry weather makes it tougher to grow white grapes, though Chardonnay and some other white grapes are often successful. Chardonnay is used for the popular sparkling wine Crémant de Limoux, a Languedoc-Roussillon appellation created in 1990.