From: Languedoc, France
Blend: 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Carignan
Taste & Critical Acclaim: An accessible wine with loads of character, “Les Darons” is packed with ripe, red & dark fruit aromas, plenty of spice, and a streak of underlying minerality. This wine will open fairly quickly, you won’t have to mess around with decanting, and on any evening, you can “pop the cork and enjoy.”
Critical Acclaim
JS 90
James Suckling
A delicious blend of grenache topped with some carignan and syrah. It delivers aromas of redcurrants, blueberries, strawberries and mild spices. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Simple but silky with a fruity, succulent finish. Very drinkable now.
JD 90 Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, and the rest Carignan, the 2021 Languedoc Les Darons reveals a healthy ruby/purple hue to go with juicy, peppery, vibrant aromatics of red and blue fruits, some floral and sappy garrigue nuances, medium body, fine tannins, and outstanding length. This elegant, balanced, terrific 2021 will drink well for 5-6 years or more.
Pairing: Chicken cassoulet, a Languedoc-styled olive tapenade, braises, stews, casseroles, etc. Here, think of your favorite comfort food and go for it. Want to do comfort and vegetarian at the same time? No problem here. Try your hand at dishes like these: walnut-lentil bolognese and a roasted cauliflower and hummus bowl (Za'atar roasted cauliflower, roasted chickpeas, and creamy hummus make this low-carb vegan bowl recipe delicious, filling, and loaded with protein). Other ideas include skillet chicken thighs (check out the recipe below), sheet pan sausage and pots, and weeknight favorites incorporating Mediterranean flavors, like lamb gyros.
Skillet Chicken and Pearl Couscous With Moroccan Spices
By Colu Henry
About. Jeff Carrel was born in 1969 in Paris and lived in the neighborhood of La Goutte d’Or for 22 years where he studied chemistry. In 1991 he decided to change his life and started to study oenology in Montpellier in the south of France.
Mr. Carrel graduated in 1994 with a National Diploma in oenology. He then toured France, vinifying in the Loire at Martignié Briant at the heart of Layon, then in Alsace for Wolfberger on their site Dambach, and in Languedoc at the laboratory of oenology Council. At the end of 1996, he became a technical director of a languedocienne subsidiary of a trading company of Bordeaux, Promocom. During this time he vinified for the Mondavi range Vichon, for the Stimson Lane range Color Volant, les Domaines, La Noble, Pomarèdes and Puydeval.
At the end of 1998 he took over management of Domaine Puydeval. He also developed a consulting business where he vinified for Domaines and castles. In 2000, he created a company around the Domaines he advised, and in 2003 he left Domaine Puydeval to devote himself entirely to consulting and the management of a distribution company.
Today Jeff Carrel vinifies and advises mainly in the Languedoc Roussillon, but also in Priorat, in Bordeaux, Beaujolais and in Bourgogne (we wish we had his energy). He also focuses on the development of these wines: Puydeval, la Bette, les Herbes Hautes, Cote Ouest, les Darons, Morillon Blanc, Un Blanc Du Sud, Ornithology, Saveur Verte, BMV, Villa des Anges and many others to come.
As for this particular wine...Grenache and Carignan have long been cultivated in Southern France and represent the forefathers of the Languedoc Appellation’s red wines. An homage showcasing these varietals, this wine was subsequently labeled Les Darons, the affectionate expression for “parents” in the Parisian suburbs where this winemaker was born.
More specifically, Les Darons comes from 30+ year old Grenache and Carignan vines and 20 year old Syrah vines planted in the La Clape (39%), the Agly Valley (35%), Minervois (12%), Saint Chinian (8%) and Corbieres (6%). Soils dominated by: Clay/limestone for the Grenache; lacustre and shatter in Minervois; gypsum in Corbieres; sand in La Clape (read: literally most of the best sites within the Languedoc for full-bodied but still mineral, food-friendly wines with structure and finish).
