2023 Terres Falmet, Cinsault, Vin de France, Languedoc, France.
The lighter framed, bright, juicy, spicy and delicately perfumed 100% Cinsault from vigneron Yves Falmet at Domaine Terres Falmet is a high quaffable Languedoc red from the Saint Chinian AOC, but because it is all Cinsault it is simply labeled as a Vin de France, and it is a nice value and a solid example of varietal and place. The medium bodied palate shows a lovely freshness and is smooth in the mouth with brambly raspberry, plum, cherry, strawberry and tart cranberry fruits, along with hints of pepper, anise, grilled herbs, orange zest and chalky stones. Falmet picks all of his grapes by hand and are carefully sorted, de-stemmed then lightly crushed into tank for fermentation, then he employs a 4 -week’maceration with twice daily pump-overs. After fermentation the Cinsault is exclusively tank-matured for about 12 months, then bottled with no fining and light filtration with no oak used. Cinsault is an ancient varietal here in the Languedoc and has seen a revival in recent years, and is used in Rosé and Red wines, as it retains good acidity and plays a important role, even as a minor part of these wines.
Yves Falmet is based in the Saint Chinian AOC, region of the Languedoc and his Domaine Terres Falmet was built from the ground up in 2001 with what says was an old abandoned, steeply sloping vineyard site. Having himself growing up working very steep hillside vineyards, Yves was maybe naturally drawn to ecology, and he later completed a Master’s degree in Biochemistry, then explored the world, working in wineries in different parts of France, the USA, Australia and New Zealand before founding his winery. These Terre Falmet wines are very much terroir driven and the estate with the contiguous hillside vineyard of stony limestone is entirely within the classified Saint Chinian AOC, well regarded for Rhône style red wines. The vines are grown in a traditional bush-vine style, facing a cooler north, helping provide finesse, fostering good aeriation and excellent exposure which ensure, as Yves explains, healthy grapes for peak ripening, which is highlighted here with his latest delightful ruby hued Vin de France Cinsault. Falmet also does a single varietal Mourvèdre and Carignan, which I hope to try soon, as well as traditional Saint-Chinian AOC Rouge, all of which are worth looking for.
($19 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive