Fast facts:
- 2016 Badet Clement Pontificis GSM, Languedoc-Rousillon, France ($6.99 @Trader Joe’s, California)
Long time readers will have come to understand that QPR is shorthand for Quality to Price Ratio. It’s a good measure of wine value. This one scores super high on that scale.
And if you read our review of a GSM several weeks ago you may recall that it’s an abbreviation for grape varieties Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. The prior GSM was from the Central Coast of California and was $9.99 – also at TJs.
This week’s GSM is French, the land that birthed these blends. Better still, it’s just $6.99. And to my taste, it’s the better of the two wines – by a long shot.
What’s not to love?!
A Primer on the Pays D’Oc Wine Region
Pays d’Oc is the IGP title for red, white and rosé wines that are made in a large area on the southern coast of France. The area corresponds roughly to the Languedoc-Rousillon wine region – one of the largest wine-growing areas in France. How big you ask? This single French IGP accounts for 14 percent of all French wine. It produces more wine each year than New Zealand. Its annual production is equivalent to half of Australia’s total production, or about one-third of that of the USA.
The IGP covers all the wines that are not made under the stricter laws that govern the AOC-level appellations in the regions: among them Corbières , Minervois and the Languedoc appellation itself. Note: the IGP classification is the one just below AOC – the highest level – is a relatively new classification created by the European Union.
The GSM blend is one of the classic red wine blends from the southern Rhone Valley in France. The Languedoc is located in southern France, the border to Spain is its southern boundary and the Mediterranean Sea is the eastern border.
This GSM blends meld the rich fruitiness of Grenache (40% of the blend) with the fruit/spicy qualities of Syrah (38%) along with the darker fruit flavor and structure of Mourvedre (22%).
Tasting Notes
The 2016 Badet Clement Pontificis GSM begins with pleasant aromas of dark red fruit, oak, eucalyptus and some light notes of garrique. Tasting the wine reveals juicy, sweet berry fruit and a smooth texture. It ends quite dry with a lingering finish of cola, earth and sweet berry fruit. It’s deliciously complex yet food friendly when paired with meats, cheese and pasta.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Pays D’Oc Wine Region:
Ready to see – and learn – more about this massive producer of high QPR French wines? Click on the link below:
https://www.visitfrenchwine.com/en/vineyard/visit-the-vineyards-of-the-pays-d-oc-wine-tourism
Do you like this wine as much as we did? Or did you not? Either way, let us know your thoughts by using the comments section below, or by posting on our Vinopointer.com Facebook page.
Cheers!
The most important thing that you need to consider when choosing a wine is the Quality to Price Ratio as it matters the most. If you buy super expensive wine, then it wouldn’t be worth it.
An excellent find. Fruit forward. Medium bodied. Tasty. Lovely garnet color with a pleasant light peppery spiciness. At $6.99 a bottle I think it’s a steal.