Jeff Carrel is the Languedoc's self-proclaimed "eclectic winemaker," who owns neither a winery nor any vineyards, but crafts some of the best, and most interesting wines in Southern France. We love these wines because you are getting the top winemakers using estate vineyards, crafting authentic reds at the fraction of the price. Even Robert Parker's Wine Advocate says: "If it came from a more prestigious appellation in the southern Rhone, it would go for three times the price." His Les Darons is 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 5% Carignan sourced from estate vineyards at Chateau Arcades, and scored two 90+ ratings from The Wine Advocate and Jeb Dunnuck. He calls the wine "Les Darons," a slang term for father or papa, and as the vineyards at Arcades are 45+ years old, the name seems fitting for this patriarchal wine. Eclectic or not, Carrel makes fabulous wine, and the Les Darons is a smooth, robust, pure expression of the Languedoc.
Tasting Notes: An accessible wine with loads of character, “Les Darons” is packed with ripe, red and dark fruit aromas, with plenty of spice and a streak of underlying minerality.
Serve With: Enjoy this classic, unoaked red with a wide range of everyday meals.
"Perhaps a touch more concentrated than the 2018 version, the 2019 Languedoc Les Darons offers up penetrating raspberry and cherry aromas. It's plump and creamy in texture, medium to full-bodied, supple and easy to drink. It should prove to be another fine value." The Wine Advocate, 89-91 Points
