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Roni Selects
The Wine
A beautifully pure expression of old‑vine Carignan from the limestone and gravel soils of the Hérault. Medium ruby in color, it opens with aromas of red cherry, raspberry, plum skin and wild herbs, joined by notes of violets, dried rose, pepper and warm earth. The wine’s aromatics are true to the variety and are allowed to shine because of Bernard’s gentle, transparent winemaking.
The palate is vibrant, savory and soft, offering bright sweet-tart red fruits like cranberry, cherry and pomegranate and fine tannins. A delightful thread of garrigue - thyme, bay, rosemary - runs through the mid‑palate, that also offers hints of dusty mineral-laden soils and dried spice. The finish is long, dry and expressive.
Old vines, low yields and thoughtful farming, followed by fermentation with native yeasts and neutral wood aging give the wine its enticing aromatics and flavor complexity. This is a lot of wine for the money. Gobble it up while you can!
Pairings: Roast chicken, grilled sausages, ratatouille, lentil dishes, herb‑accented vegetables and meals where bright fruit and savory garrigue complement the plate. For cheese pairings, aged goat cheeses such as Crottin or Chabichou, or semi‑firm sheep’s‑milk cheeses like Ossau‑Iraty or Abbaye de Belloc work well here. Tomme‑style cow’s‑milk cheeses and lightly washed‑rind options such as Taleggio also highlight the wine’s savory, earthy character.
The Winery
Catherine Bernard is one of the most thoughtful and quietly influential voices in the natural and terroir‑driven movement in the Languedoc. Working from small parcels near Béziers, she meticulously farms old vines with a focus on biodiversity, soil health and minimal intervention. Her approach is rooted in observation rather than ideology, allowing each site to guide the decisions made in both vineyard and cellar.
Bernard’s vineyards are planted on a mix of limestone, gravel and clay, with many vines several decades old. Farming is organic, with an emphasis on handwork, low yields and preserving the natural balance of the ecosystem. In the cellar, she favors native fermentations, gentle extraction and aging in neutral vessels to maintain clarity and freshness.
Her wines—always produced in small quantities—are known for their precision, aromatic lift and sense of place. Le Carignan is one of her most distinctive bottlings, capturing the variety’s rustic charm and transforming it into something elegant, savory and deeply expressive.
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