Attributes:

Chateau Puech-Haut

Coteaux du Languedoc, France

Dry White Table Wine

750 ML

2000: WineAdvocate Rating: 88

medium-bodied

rich, supple

minerals, smoke

1999: WineAdvocate Rating: 86

*-scented, white flowers

light, medium-bodied

tightly wound

1998: WineAdvocate Rating: 87

lively, tangy

*-scented

powerful

1997: WineSpectator Rating: 86

floral aroma

mature

1997: WineAdvocate Rating: 87

medium body

almond, apricot, gravel, honey, mineral

Food Matches:

The area was once known as "Septimanie", it includes some of France's best land and vineyards for growing. The region resembles a giant south facing amphitheater encompassing 19,000 acres of vineyard dedication. The Coteaux de Languedoc appellation has a number of sub appellations within it. Grenache, Syrah, and Mourverde are the principle red grapes of the region while Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Picpoul, and Bourboulenc are the principle whites. Other white varieties of the region include Rousanne, Rolle, and Viogner. The wines of the region vary depending on the sub appellation and the vineyard. They can range from high altitude sites with low yield producing high powered wines, to sites with a Mediterranean climate where the grapes will grow much bigger.

Attributes:

Haiku Bridge

France

Dry White Table Wine

750 ML

Food Matches:

France is the standard bearer for all the world’s wines, with regard to the types of grapes that are used to make wine and with the system of defining and regulating winemaking. Its Appellation d’Origine Controlee, or AOC system, is the legislative model for most other European countries. Most French wines are named after places. The system is hierarchical; generally the smaller and more specific the region for which a wine is named, the higher its rank. There are four possible ranks of French wine, and each is always stated on the label: Appellation Contrôlée (or AOC), Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (or VDQS); Vin de pays, or country wine; and Vin de table. France has five major wine regions, although there are several others that make interesting wines. The three major regions for red wine are Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone; for white wines, the regions are Burgundy, the Loire and Alsace. Each region specialized in certain grape varieties for its wines, based on climate, soil, and local tradition. Two other significant French wine regions are Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, both in the south of France. Cahors, in the southwest of the country, produces increasingly good wines.