1996 Domaine de la Grange des Peres de l'Herault Rouge

Domaine de la Grange des Pères was started in 1989 by Laurent Vaillé, who spent his first years of winemaking training under such winemaking legends as Jean-Francoise Coche-Dury and Gérard Chave. To start his own domain he found a plot of difficult-to-farm limestone in the then undistinguished L’Hérault region of Languedoc. Vaillé proceeded to turn the hard, silty soil into first-class vineyards. He grows Syrah, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Roussanne, Marsanne and Chardonnay, and his wines have a cult following. The estate makes one red and one white blend, both of which typically earn scores in the low- to mid-90s.

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.