Kermit Lynch Selections - Côtes du Rhône 2020 ($14)
A quick apology + commentary on wine labels, finding bottles based on their importers, and the wonder of things that exist just as beautifully in the background as they do in the spotlight
TL;DR…
Looking for a wine that is properly sourced, highly drinkable, and at a great price point? This bottle’s for you!
First, a quick side note…
Apologies that this is showing up in your inbox on Sunday instead of Friday afternoon! Although these write-ups are short reads, they do take some time to put together, and I’m very much so still learning how to get everything prepped throughout the week for an easy Friday release. A busy workweek and road trip up to NC for a wedding put me behind on the wine words, but I promise to stay better prepared moving forward. Now let’s get to the wine!
Pro tip:
Pay attention to who’s importing your wines. Oftentimes, discovering a handful of trusted importers will keep far better wines on your table than buying based on just the label ever will.
For your information…
Producer: Jean-François Pasturel at Terres d’Avignon
Country: France
Region: Côtes du Rhône
Appellation/Sub-Region: Grapes sourced from the commune of Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne, a village eligible for the Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOC
Grapes: 64% Grenache, 21% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre, 6% Carignan, 1% Marselan
Vineyard/Cellar Practices: Vinification is traditional, with only natural yeasts, in temperature-controlled cement cuvées
What I Tasted: Dark plum, heavy berry, a touch of earthy brine, strong mouth pucker
Some backstory…
We’re changing things up just a touch this week and opening up a whole can o’ worms through doing so. Buckle up because you’re about to be tossed some info.’
Upon first glance, this wine’s label looks just about the same as any other label I could toss up on here, right? 100%! But, there are a few details worth noticing that make quite a big difference when looking to get a quality bottle of wine — especially when shopping on a budget.
Let’s explore a few details that can help make or break your wine selection:
“Appellation Côtes du Rhône Contrôlée”
When looking at a French wine, you will sometimes notice the phrase, “Appellation ________ Contrôlée” on the label. This phrase — French for “controlled designation of origin” — is a certification granted to certain French wines to signal that it was produced in a specific region and exhibits a level of quality and style.
Within each appellation (Ex. Burgundy, Champagne, Loire, Rhône, Provence, Bordeaux, etc.), winemakers must work within specific parameters related to grape varieties, growing conditions, permitted blends, and winemaking methods, before getting their wine approved by an independent committee and using their specific AOC certification.
So, wines displaying their unique AOC certification tend to be higher quality and more reflective of the tradition of their region of origin but also tend to come along with a higher price point.
However, when knowing where to look, you can find an amazing bottle of AOC-designated French wine for less than $20.
“Selected by Kermit Lynch”
Normally, when shopping for wine, finding the winemaker or producer’s name on a bottle in addition to the AOC is a huge thumbs up. Listing the producer adds an additional layer of transparency, ties the quality to a specific person (who would want to ship a shitty product around the world?), and specifies the land the grapes were grown on — meaning it even better reflects the specific nuances and tradition of its vineyard.
But what does it mean when we see the term “selected by” or see nothing at all?
This is where things get interesting. Seeing no claim of AOC, vineyard, producing region, producer, etc., is normally a big red flag (there are always exceptions to the rule!).
For instance, seeing a broad claim like “Product of France” or “Grown in California” typically means that the producers are using mass-produced grapes from numerous regions and vineyards, resulting in a somewhat standardized bottle of wine that’s not reflective of its origins.
Just to be clear, none of this is to say that the wine will definitely taste ‘bad’ or lack quality. It’s solely to signal that wines with unclear origins tend to lack quality compared to wines that provide more detail surrounding where it came from and/or who made it.
Think of it similar to a piece of artwork — a mass-printed piece of art with no listed artist might still be nice to look at but will lack in quality, nuance, and value compared to an original piece from a specific artist with a story to share about how and why they made it.
However, the helpful little detail here that cannot replace solid information but can definitely help you discover a diamond in the rough is the importer listed on the back (or, in this case, also the front) of the bottle.
Importers are responsible for discovering new wines, negotiating with the winemakers, and bringing those bottles to market. And many times, an importer will represent a somewhat niche flavor profile or quality aligned with their unique preferences.
And in this case, our importer is Kermit Lynch…arguably the best of the best over the past 50+ years.
Lynch first began importing French wines back in the 1970s after taking a handful of trips to its primary wine regions and connecting with producers running biodynamic farms and producing wines with traditional methods — a response to more commercialized vineyards overtaking France throughout the mid-1900s.
After 50+ years of taking countless trips to France and tasting an ungodly amount of wine, Lynch is a trusted source of quality French wine.
This brings us to the significance of the phrase “Selected by Kermit Lynch.”
Although this wine does not list a specific producer or vineyard on the label, the combination of “Appellation Côtes du Rhône Contrôlée” and “Selected by Kermit Lynch” makes this a highly desirable bottle worthy for any dinner party or after-work treat!
A few other favorite importers worth staying on the lookout for are…
Now the wine…
Kermit Lynch, along with the winemaker Jean-François Pasturel of Terres d’Avignon vineyard, sourced a combination of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Marselan from multiple vineyards throughout the commune of Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne — a village eligible for the Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOC.
The resulting wine is a prime example of what a good Côtes du Rhône should be — easy-drinking, full-bodied, and packed with dark fruit flavors.
Lynch’s standard of only sourcing the most flavorful grapes, utilizing traditional winemaking methods, and keeping his wine unfiltered, creates a wine that Jean-François Pasturel deems his tête de cuvée, his pride and joy.
I got started on wine with bold Rhônes, so bottles such as this hold a dear place in my heart. Finding $14 bottles that drink like a $40 bottle is akin to discovering an incredible new restaurant that isn’t found out yet — I truly cannot recommend this wine enough.
For the record…
This week we’re running with the classic Cocteau Twins record, Heaven or Las Vegas.
I have always loved music that is capable of existing in both the foreground and background of an experience. Records you can trust to soundtrack a dinner party without overwhelming the conversation, but also captivates your guests when the room goes quiet and it’s given more attention. Heaven or Las Vegas is the epitome of a record that can do both.
Much like our bottle of Côtes du Rhône, you can keep Heaven or Las Vegas flowing all night and nobody will ever ask you to change things up. Or, when the room goes quiet, you can open things up a bit of Cherry-coloured Funk and experience people’s curiosity spark right in front of your eyes.
What else can I say…
There’s beauty in things that don’t require you to examine their existence in order to be enjoyed. Oftentimes a beautiful moment is best experienced by simply being present with what exists in front of you — not surrendering to the impulse to think about why something is or explain its existence to others.
Nothing bottles up this pleasure quite as well as a solid bottle of wine and record that don’t necessarily demand your attention but stand up to every bit of examination you choose to give it.
See y’all next week -
Cheers!