MONTAGNAC MERLOT 2010 / 2011

Description & Press Reviews:
Wine Style:  Fruity Red

Montagnac Merlot comes from the co-operative Les Vignobles Montaganc  located between Beziers and Montpellier. The co-operative was built in Montagnac in 1937 and the vineyards stretch from the banks of Thau Lagoon to the foothills of the mountains on the right bank of the River Hérault where the ancient river bed stones are similar to those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  These "Marine" vineyards on the edge of the Thau Lagoon are amongst the oldest on the Mediterranean; they are crossed by the Roman highway – the Via Domitienne and are close to the historic ports of Sète and Agde.

Montagnac Merlot is a Vin de Pays d'Oc, Vins de Pays meaning “Country Wine”. In fact the vast majority of Languedoc wines are produced by wine co-operatives rather than chateaux. The Vin de Pays d'Oc is the prime source for France's varietal wines and has some of the oldest planted vineyards in France.  You may have heard of some of the wines from this AOC - Corbières, Minervois, Fitou, Faugères, St-Chinian, Frontignan, Lunel, Mireval and Banyuls.

Montagnac Merlot is a dark garnet colour with lovely perfumed cherry aromas and a hint of dark chocolate. A whiff of grassy flavours mingles well with the ripe black fruit. It's well balanced, complex and offers outstanding value.  This wine pairs very well with Asian cuisine - from rich Chinese dishes to Indian curries as well as grilled lamb, pork and steak, stroganoffs and tomato based dishes.

Andrew Barrow, Spittoon
Three Wines from France: The Montagnac Range
"Judging an independent wine merchant on its cheapest wines is a great indication of the overall care the merchant puts into its overall range. It is relatively easy to list great wines at the £10/£20/£30 price range but much harder to find something exclusive at under a fiver that is not one of the huge brands available from everywhere else. If consideration has been given to the most basic of wines you should trust the choices at higher prices too. 

Available from Bordeaux-Undiscovered.co.uk run by the able hands, and discerning palate, of Nick Stephens.

This held my interest right the way through an easy mid-week meal of herby sausage and tomato sauce topping a pile of steaming pasta. Good concentration but again, easy drinking, with soft black fruits, chocolate and coffee complexity. A good pleasing finish. Alcohol 13%.
Scribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5] " 

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