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Region: France - Laguedoc-Roussillon
Grapes: 100% Cinsault
Alcohol: 12%
Notes on the Wine
Cousin Oscar is a fun, thirst-quenching, summer red. Unoaked, with plenty of fresh fruit on the palate. A very versatile pairing that can be served slightly chilled.
Notes on the Producer
Jean-Marie Rimbert, self proclaimed defender of the Languedoc’s native Carignan grape, is a benchmark grower for the region and also a maverick. Self proclaimed “Carignaniste” and “Carignator” (aka defender and champion of Carignan) his cuvées show just how pleasurable and vibrant this often misaligned grape can be when planted on the right soils and farmed and vinified responsibly. He likes to say “Carignan is my Pinot” and it's an apt comparison. With his low yields (30hl/ha max, often less), intimate knowledge of his individual parcels, and delicate extractions (punchdowns), he brings out undeniable delicacy, nuance, elegance and ageability in the grape.
Jean-Marie’s AOC wines have become classics since he established himself as the first grower to bottle under his own name in the commune of Berlou in the late ‘90’s. His irreverent and playful VDF bottlings and keen sense of humor and imagination have inspired many. Today Berlou is recognized as one of the top Crus of Saint Chinian due to its high elevation and brown schist driven terraced vineyards and AOC and VDF bottlings alike brim with energy, lift and a crunchy, savory herbal expression that belies the soil’s minerality and the aromatic garrigue studded slopes.
Today Jean-Marie has 45 hectares spread between many diverse parcels, locally called travers, each with a slightly different soil composition and exposition. He started from the get go in the mid 90's with agriculture raisonnée and native yeast ferments and began converting to organic certification in 2013.
