2008 Domaine Antugnac Place du Marche

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  5/22/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (Place du Marche Languedoc) $7.99 Dear Friends, Every Memorial Day weekend (to signal the start of the summer) we feature at least one wine for $6.99-$7.99 and most in the past have been big hits (Hay Shed Hill among them). This year, instead of going for the obvious in Australia or South America, I ventured to the old world to seek an example from traditional varietals that was low in alcohol but still ripe and unpretentious enough to be enjoyed on the summer terrace (and beyond). I found it at Domaine Antugnac but not with their commercially available Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, instead it was with the unknown. While tasting the upcoming 2008 releases from them, I also sampled a tank of Syrah and Grenache normally reserved for their own consumption - it's not sold to the public. The wine was light as a feather and bursting with deep red fruit that was not tannic or harsh in any way. No additives or adjustments had been made and it was delightful in that state. It was so fresh, the wine reminded me of a young Moulin-a-Vent. When I asked if we could bottle some of it for our customers (in April 2009 - to retain the just-pressed cru Beaujolais appeal, instead of in the summer as they had planned), they shrugged and said "Why not?" There was no label or name for this wine so they named it "Place du Marche" for a painting that hung by the tank. Don't expect fancy graphics or marketing - this is literally a piece of paper with a Kinko's-quality graphic slapped on the bottle and that is just fine with me. A low-alcohol 2008 "pressings" wine from the south (another top vintage in this area) for $7.99? That's what I call summer fun. After immersion in the project, they really got into it and decided to add small amounts of Cabernet and Merlot to give more structure (as well as some of the 2007 they had) but the 2008 Syrah and Grenache are the true stars - uncomplicated, upfront, fresh and juice-filled - this wine can be enjoyed all summer in abundance and certainly through next year. The addition of 2007 gives the wine even more panache but it never loses the unpretentious quality (I can't call this wine a true 2008, thus no vintage on the label but it's 90% 2008). This is the type of wine French consumers drink on a daily basis - it is a "bistro red" (as a famous critic would say) that is meant to be enjoyed by the bucket-full. The difference between this and many of the $6-8 examples you find in the shops in France? That is easy to quantify - the Place du Marche is from first-grade fruit grown without commercial intent or the AOC to please - there was no motivation to make money on this wine - it was originally vinified for them to enjoy at their dinner table and among friends as they dropped by after a long journey to the winery. The result is an honest and true character that is the heart of this tank-style delight. Summer is here and this wine makes it easy to welcome - a simple table wine never tasted so good. One bottling only of this wine - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as the freshest expression of pure, unadulterated fruit and vintage: (2008) Place du Marche (Languedoc) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA SOFR5499