2009 Domaine du Clos des Fees Le Clos des Fees

Domaine du Clos des Fees was founded in 1997 when Herve Bizeul, who was then a sommelier and food writer, left Paris for the Roussillon. He started small at first, acquiring just a few acres, but today Bizeul and his wife Claudine own and operate a 90-acre estate in Vingrau, in the heart of the Cotes du Roussillon-Villages appellation. Bizeul acquired parcels of old-vine Carignan, Grenache and other grapes and threw himself into winemaking. Domaine du Clos des Fees’ debut vintage in 1998 earned good reviews in influential French magazines, and the wines soon became extremely popular with wine shops and restaurants. The domain’s signature reds are Vieilles Vignes, made from the oldest Carignan and Grenache vines on the estate; Le Clos des Fees, usually a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache and Carignan; and La Petite Siberie, made of old-vine Grenache. Decanter Magazine has written that “ Bizeul’s star is certainly in the ascendant.”

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.